


Mamihlapinatapei (My Brothers Best Friend)

by flowercrownmikey



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Aggression, Blowjobs, Brief Gun Threat, Brief Overdose, Dating, Explicit Language, Forbidden Romance, High School AU, I promise its fluffy theres just some angst at the end, M/M, MedicalStudent!Michael, Muke Clemmings, Recreational Drug Use, Referenced Het Sex (as a gay i like the warning ok), Secret Relationship, Sex, Violence, handjobs, some smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 03:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 46,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15306849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowercrownmikey/pseuds/flowercrownmikey
Summary: Luke Hemmings, 17, is popular and a year younger than his brother, Ashton. Michael Clifford is Ashton's long-term best friend and a wannabe doctor. Luke gets into some fights, and a forbidden romance is an accident waiting to happen.OR// Luke is reckless and sweet, and falls head over heels in love with his brothers best friend.





	Mamihlapinatapei (My Brothers Best Friend)

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER : please check the warnings in the tags above.  
> DISCLAIMER II : Names such as Arzaylea and Aleisha are used for characters - I have done this so you can imagine the face of the girls, however I mean no harm to either of them and have simply used their names for characters I'm sure they are nothing like. 
> 
> OKAAAAYYYYYY, this took me a HOT MINUTE and I am EXCITED!! (I literally spent months on this, even wrote it during exam season, oops) but it's my longest ever one-shot and my absolute baby. Please let me know what you think in the comments, and enjoy :-)
> 
> -Emily // flowercrownmikey

_**Mamihlapinatapei - The wordless, yet meaningful look** _

_**shared by two people who both** **desire to initiate something,** _

_**but are both reluctant to start.** _

 

Luke didn't pay a lot of attention to many things. He had his likes; loud music, early morning cigarettes, going to the beach - and he had his dislikes, of course (like every other human being that's ever lived). But for the most part, he stuck to the things he liked, noticing very little else and being labelled oblivious by most of his friends.

However, the day his brother Ashton brought both Calum and Michael back to their house in a small town in Michigan, Luke noticed. Luke noticed because Michael and Ashton hadn't been friends for  _months,_ had had one of the most legendary school fights that Ridgeway High School had seen for years; still talked about to this day to Luke and his friends.

He's about to go out when he see's them. He's running around the house frantically, grabbing his skinny jeans from the dryer and then running back upstairs for a t-shirt, doing his hair in the bathroom and then going into Ashton's room to steal socks. He hears Ashton come in, and puts music onto his phone, placing it in his back pocket.  _Young, Dumb and Broke_ by Khalid is playing, and it's then that his friends blare a car horn loudly outside.

Luke grins and pulls on his trainers, skipping a step every other turn as he jumps down them and runs through the living room; there are blurs on the couch he pays no attention to, but he knows it's Ashton and whatever idiot friends he brought home today.

He grabs a bottle of water and makes sure he has his phone and cigarettes in his pocket, and then rushes back out.

"Be home by nine," Ashton says, making Luke turn at the door. The music still plays. It was supposed to be an acknowledgement, the turn, but Luke freezes when he sees Michael Clifford's dyed red hair alongside next to Calum and Ashton. Michael makes eye contact, looking him up and down before looking at the TV again.

Luke turns to Ashton, the confusion flooding his face. Ashton sighs and opens his mouth, but a car horn blares.

"Hemmings!" He hears through the open window, "Don't make me come in there!"

"Bye," Luke says quickly, exiting the living room and then running out the front. Arzaylea, Brandon and Leia scream, raising their hands in Arzaylea's fancy convertible car. Luke turns the music off on his phone, grabs a cigarette, and jumps into the passenger seat. He lights and turns up the stereo, and then they're off, screaming the wrong words to songs they barely know.

*

"Luke got popular," Michael says passively, leaning back into the sofa he hasn't sat on in six months. "And tall."

"Yeah," Ashton agrees, "And into bad habits."

Michael raises an eyebrow. "He smokes now, thinks he's fucking invisible or something when he does it, because apparently James," the step-dad, Michael recalls, "and I, have no idea."

"At least Liz doesn't know," Calum, another friend Michael has missed these past few months, adds.

"God forbid."

Michael smiles, shakes his head as he scrolls through Instagram and checks his phone.

"Hey," Ashton gets his attention, "I'm glad we're talking again, and you've forgiven me, and - yeah."

Michael grins and pushes him, laughing, "Anytime."

*

Every weekend, Liz and James try to get away to the cabin; many weekends being a success, many being taken away by demand and overtime at work. Luke and Ashton used to go with them, but when Ashton turned eighteen and Luke started throwing tantrums to stay home with him, they went alone; quality time, they called it. Keeping the romance alive, Luke would always joke at the breakfast table Friday morning before they left.

On Friday morning he's glad when they say they can go, they've got the weekend off, and he see's how happy they are; having spent the past four weekends with mismatched schedules and odd-ball shifts.

And then he sees the glint in Ashton's eye once they go upstairs to get the last of their stuff together.

"No," Luke moans, "No, no."

"Tell them, and you're dead." He says.

"And what the fuck do I get out of you throwing another one of your hook-up parties?" Luke whispers argumentatively.

Ashton pauses, like he's actually thinking about buying Luke's silence, and then says, "I'll split the money Mom leaves sixty, forty with you, so you get the sixty."

"Seventy, thirty," Luke pushes, hearing their Mom walking back down the stairs with her heels on. "And my lips are sealed. I'll even help clean up."

Ashton looks at where their Mom is in the living room, smiling at her reflection in the mirror above the fireplace as she puts in the earrings that James purchased for her to celebrate their fifth anniversary.

"Deal," He whispers, begrudgingly. Luke grins at him, and he laughs quietly and shakes his head.

"Okay boys," she says, walking back in. "I've left money for you behind the fireplace, and we'll be back Sunday night, as usual." She kisses Ashton's forehead, and then walks round to Luke, pushing away his hair before doing the same to him. Luke smiles into his toast.

"Love you, Mom, have a good time."

"Yeah, love you," Luke adds.

"I love you boys too. Don't destroy the house! And go to school, you're going to be late!"

She leaves quickly, slamming the door behind her. Luke sees James lugging the suitcase to the car, putting it in the boot with Liz's help. He opens the passenger door for her, making Luke smile and shake his head. Ashton and Luke were the product of a high school relationship gone horribly, horribly wrong. They grew up inseparable, only a year apart, and never talk of their father or what they'd seen from birth to the age of six for Luke, seven for Ash; choosing the block it completely. Meeting James had been the happiest she'd been in a long time when they finally did meet.

Luke looks up from his empty plate, Ashton staring back at him blankly.

Luke shrugs, nods.

Ashton nods back.

And just like that they're skipping school and playing Halo all day, ordering Domino's (with Luke's share of the money, so really, what's happened, is they have the same amount of money each and Ashton's just convinced him he's had more and then spent the extra thirty he supposedly had on pizza. Luke isn't surprised by how much he doesn't care) and being completely lazy until four o clock rolls around and Ashton wants to clean the house a bit before he has people over, sending Luke upstairs to hole himself off in his room.

Later, when most people have gone home and the music has finally been turned down, the floors stopped vibrating, Luke wakes up to his bedroom door slamming against the wall, sitting up in bed groggily; seeing Ashton holding up a drunk Michael Clifford; a tipsy girl giggling behind them. Luke groans and lies back down.

"Can Michael sleep here?"

Luke has known Michael Clifford longer than they've lived here in James' house. He's seen him with every hair colour ever known, he's seen him cry over bullies, he's seen him drunk many, many times, but not once have they said more than two words to each other. A year is a long distance in high school; people talk in their own year groups, and it tends to stay like that for the majority of the time.

He's been around the house a lot this past week; him, Ashton and Calum as strong as before, acting like Ash and Mike didn't beat the shit out of each other in the corridor six months ago. And Luke doesn't care; Ashton can do whatever he wants to do. But-

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He asks, sitting up and pushing his hair out of his face.

Michael is almost limp in his arms. Ashton shrugs, pouting, looking between the girl and Luke.

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever, put him on the bean bag."

"I owe you," Ashton grins, walking Michael to the bean bag before sitting him onto it, rushing out of the room and closing the door behind himself.

Luke blinks at the ceiling, the room completely silent.

He sits up again, looking at the slumped shadow in the corner of the room.

"You're not dead, are you?"

There's a moment, and then, "No." He coughs and moans, holding his head.

Luke sighs and lies back down. And then Michael throws up.

Luke grits his teeth, breathing out slowly through his nose, "You are  _fucking_  joking." He throws the cover from his body, "Take care of my drunk fucking friend while I get laid, Luke." He mocks Ashton, turning the light in the room on, hearing Michael splutter his protest, before turning the bathroom light on and getting a towel. "I know you're asleep but I'll wake you up at four am to piss you off on a Saturday morning," he continues, anger running through his veins, and exhaustion, and Ashton can genuinely  _fuck_  himself.

Michael's still groaning when Luke throws the towel over the sick, gagging.

"Are you going to throw up again?" He asks hesitantly.

Michael nods.

"Bathroom," Luke says, "Bathroom now please."

Michael, like a child, just holds up his arms. Luke cringes before walking around the towel, picking him up without really trying to touch him at all. He stumbles around the towel, falling into the wall and groaning, before rushing to the toilet, leaving the door wide open as he empties his stomach.

Luke turns around, begrudgingly walking to the towel, looking at it, knowing what's under it. He looks around his room and grabs a plastic Walmart bag, putting it over his foot, before swooshing the towel around, looking away as much as possible but still trying to clean it the best he can. He gags just as much as Michael in the bathroom, except he has no alcohol in his stomach to throw up.

He manages, using the bag to pick it up and rush out of his room to throw it in the main bathroom of the house, still in the bag, for Ashton to put in the wash tomorrow. He pours a little bit of water on the floor and pushes it around with an old school book just in case, drying it with a sock that he throws in the wash basket in the corner of the room.

"Help," Michael's been saying for quite some time, but Luke ignores him until then, walking over slowly.

"Flush the toilet," He says.

Michael pulls his head back and does, falling backwards until Luke leans forward to grab his head before it hits the tile. He picks him up off the floor, and walks him back out, turning off the light, cursing Ashton the entire way.

Michael breaks away in the middle of the room, falling onto his bed.

"Michael," Luke sighs, "You're covered in - on my bed - on my," Luke rubs his temples, watching Michael sprawl across the double bed and pulls the pillows towards himself, hugging one to his head, and passing out there and then. Luke licks his teeth, opens the window and takes a long, deep breath. He lights a cigarette in his bedroom for the first time ever, never wanting his Mom or James to smell the smoke on his curtains, or see yellow stains on the walls and get disappointed. He's curses out Ashton with every bad word he has in his idiolect, and sleeps at his desk chair, head on the desk with his arms as a pillow, leaving the window wide open and ignoring the sound of Ashton fucking some girl in the room next door.

He wakes up disorientated, in a river of his own drool, and still slightly tired. He blinks, pushing himself up from - the fucking desk chair. No wonder his back is in agony. He turns to look at Michael, but he's not there; instead the bedding is stripped and the covers are in a bag on the floor, the bedding itself folded up. Luke shakes his head and clicks out his joints as he stands up, groaning, and then something blue catches his eye.

There are flowers on the beanbag, and... Luke walks over, padding across the floor as he rubs his eyes. There's a piece of paper with his name on it.

_Luke,_

_These flowers are called Hyacinth or something, and when you get them in purple they're supposed to mean I'm sorry, but, I liked the blue better. So I guess I'm sorry but in a different colour. Also air freshener, and chocolates._

_Forgive me? -Michael._

Luke finds himself smiling at the note, picking up the flowers and wondering what the fuck he should do with these. The chocolates are the expensive kind, gold box glittering at him with the air freshener sitting next to it, waiting to douse the room from the terrors of the previous night.

He ends up stealing the vase from the master bedroom, putting it in his windowsill with a bit of water before putting the flowers in. He throws the chocolate in a drawer for later, along with the note, and then sprays so much air freshener in his room and the bathroom that the air feels wet when you walk through it and he has to get out of there just to breathe.

Luke smiles to himself outside of his room, a little confused and honestly a little surprised by Michael Clifford; who apparently buys flowers and chocolate to apologise to his best friend's little brother after throwing up around him and stealing his bed.

Luke sort of warms to Michael Clifford a little too much after that.

He also makes Ashton do his laundry, and clean up, alone.

*

On Sunday morning, Luke wakes up to silence. He stretches, listening more carefully and still hearing nothing. He looks longingly towards his pack of cigs before throwing the cover off, walking over in his boxers and putting one behind his ear. He grabs his lighter, not bothering with clothes as he stretches and walks through the house.

He stops in the living room, turning on the TV and putting YouTube on, playing some bass music loud enough to filter out the rest of his thoughts.

He puts the cigarette in his mouth, looking down to get his lighter out as he opens the door to the kitchen, and then looks up, flicking the lighter.

The flame dies.

Ashton's expression stays the same; eyebrow raised, arms crossed. Michael, Calum, Liam and Louis are sat around the table with him, each with a cuppa in front of them. Staring.

"Well, this is awkward," Luke says around the cigarette. "I thought you were out."

Ashton puts his head in his hands.

Luke opens the kitchen door, ready to go out anyway; beyond caring at this point.

"Luke, I swear to God," Ashton says quietly.

The front door knocks, and Luke grins at the escape, flicking the lighter and inhaling as Ashton gets up to get the door. He closes the kitchen door so it's ajar, and leans against the wall next to it, closing his eyes, savouring.

Arzaylea is leaning against the door frame when he opens his eyes. He grins.

"You look nice," he says.

"You're a hot mess." She nods, trying to hold back a grin, "Put that shit out and get dressed, we're going to Aleisha's party."

"I'm not going."

"Oh, honey, you're going." Luke rolls his eyes, takes another drag. "I don't care if she comes onto you so hard you turn gay, Luke. We're going to this party." Luke spits out smoke, laughing. "Just dress real bad, don't brush your teeth and we'll cover your face in mud on the way; you'll be fine."

"I'm serious," Luke says, finally putting it out like she'd asked. The door between the garden and the kitchen is still open, the kitchen silent. Luke knows Ashton is keeping his friends quiet to listen and spy on them. "I don't like her."

"I'll buy you maccies on the way?"

"No, Arz," Luke laughs. "She's fucking creepy, and touchy, and weird- I don't wanna be there."

"God, the girl's got a crush, Lu. Take it easy." She pouts. "Please? I want you to come with me, Brandon and Leia are already on their way and I don't want to go in alone."

Luke rolls his eyes, "It's not happening." She moves back as he walks back into the kitchen, closing the back door. He glances at Ashton, seeing him and all his friends quickly look away.

"I'll owe you, come on." She begs, as he opens the fridge and gets out the orange juice, pouring a glass. "I'll tell her you have a girlfriend - I'll tell her  _I'm_ your girlfriend-" Luke snorts. Arzaylea looks to the ceiling, her lips rolling into her mouth. "She won't be all over you."

"Okay," Luke says, putting the glass down. "Here's what's going to happen. We'll walk into that party, she'll be taking shots or some shit in the kitchen. She'll be piss-drunk even though it's Sunday morning because it's her eighteenth. I'll have to put up with her touchy, feel-y shit as per while Brandon A, plays drinking games, or B, finds a girl, and you and Leia will get shit-faced with all the girls, meaning I'll be stuck taking care of all three of you; Aleisha will somehow see that as endearing, and this ongoing unrequited love cycle continues for another three months until someone prettier with a higher IQ comes along and does something cute without realising."

"How  _big_  is your ego?"

"You are unbelievable," Luke holds back a smile, throwing back the rest of the orange juice. "It's not happening." He walks out of the kitchen, her voice echoing after him, yelling.

"I'll let you drive there!"

"I'll be ready in five!" Luke yells back, smirking to himself.

*

"He's fucking unbelievable," Ashton tells his friends, once Arz and Luke have left for the party. "Sorry you had to see his scrawny ass. Think he's allergic to clothes or some shit."

"I'm not complaining," Louis says, smiling into his tea.

"Man, watch your fucking mouth," Ashton laughs, "He's a nightmare, but that's my little brother."

"Baby of the family," Calum adds. "Bless him."

A slam makes everyone look to Michael, who's just spilt coffee on the table from putting his cup down so hard. Ashton raises an eyebrow.

"I'm uncoordinated," Michael explains, but the tight expression on his face reads otherwise. Everyone brushes it off. "and I need to piss."

"You don't need to announce it every time, Michael!" Liam yells after him, as he walks out of the kitchen and towards the stairs.

*

Luke doesn't see much of Ashton and his friends that week, too busy with his school work that seems to have piled up, but on the weekend, once their parents have gone away again, Ashton decides on another hook up party. Because he's a teenage boy who apparently can't control basic urges.

Luke comes in Friday night to the loud music, people everywhere, and fights to get to the kitchen, repelling everyone and everything he can with the pure distaste on his face.

Ashton and his usual goons are in the kitchen, surrounded by girls and other boys Luke doesn't know. Luke looks at the girl standing against the fridge, talking to Michael, Ashton and Liam, and sighs. He walks over to her, tapping her shoulder, "Hi," Luke says, smile tight and forced. "I need to get into this."

"Lucas!" Louis yells, far too loud considering the kitchen door is closed and the music doesn't penetrate the wall enough to be deafening. "Hello, pretty boy!"

"Dude," Ashton says, giving him a look.

The girl still hasn't moved.

"Hello?" Luke asks, almost condescendingly.

She grins at him, "Hi."

Luke rolls his eyes. "Can you move?"

"Upstairs?" She asks, swaying drunkenly, spilling some of her blue drink on the tile beneath her. "I'm not that kind of girl." She attempts a wink.

"That's great," Luke replies dryly. He can hear Ashton laughing, still watching them. "But the only thing I'm trying to get into right now is the fridge." From the corner of his eye, he see's Michael laugh and shake his head. Luke bites his tongue. "Your friend in there is looking for you." He points to the living room.

"Amanda?"

"Yeah," Luke says. She stumbles away, and Luke almost rips the fridge open, opening the bottom drawer and grabbing the dinner Ashton made him earlier. He doesn't heat it up; stir fry is probably just as good cold.

He turns around with it, looking at the surface where they keep a stand of cutlery, and see's that Ashton, Michael and Louis have stood in front of it purposely - just to piss him off.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He asks Ashton. The laughter he gets in response is answer enough. He walks up to them, container in hand, and presses right up against Michael; the one in the middle, right in front of the stand. Luke feels him stiffen and he reaches over Michael's shoulder, pressing firm against him, and grabs a fork. He slowly pulls back, ignoring Ashton and Louis' loud side-hurting laughter, and holds eye contact with a silenced Michael for a few brief seconds before turning around and fighting back to the stairs to hide away and eat his dinner alone.

Not even an hour later, when he's lying in bed on his kindle and reading George Orwell's  _1984_ , a knock on his bedroom door reveals he's not allowed any peace whatsoever.

"Fuck off!" He yells, presuming Ashton's shit-faced friends are probably trying to find some empty bedroom to fuck in. It disgusts him, but he'd rather them find his Mom's bed and not his own - Ashton tends to wash their sheets as a precaution anyway.

It creaks open despite the profanity, and Luke throws down the kindle, ready to yell -  _scream_  this fucking house down so Ashton sorts out this bullshit, but Michael tentatively peaks his head around the door and Luke's anger dies in his throat.

"Hi," he says, instead of screaming the house down.

"Hi," he replies. Luke nods at him, waiting for him to say something else. But nothing does.

"So..." Luke prompts.

"Oh! Oh, uh, can I stay here?" He smiles, a breath-taking, crinkly-eyed, pleading thing. "I promise I'm not drunk this time."

"I'm not sleeping at my desk again. My back still hurts."

He steps in, closing the door behind himself and sits on the edge of the bed. Luke shuffles so he's properly sitting up.

"I am sorry about last weekend; I overdid it."

"Yeah?" Luke asks, laughing.

Michael shakes his head. "I'm just knackered, and I don't wanna drive home cause I've had two cans. I'll sleep on the desk if you want; consider it payback."

Luke stares at him for a second, before laughing, turning over and tapping on the kindle so it lights up again. "You can share the bed, man, whatever," he says, focusing more on the words now. "Make yourself at home."

Michael does, stripping off his jeans and folding them before throwing them to the beanbag. Luke eyes him as he does, curious, and quickly looks away when he see's long pale legs come into his vision - sporting a blush he's sure to deny if Michael asks about it.

"Thank you," he says, when he's lying down at the other side of the bed - the furthest away possible, and is curled away from him, hugging the pillow. Luke's eyes flow over his red hair, and he nods knowing Michael can't see him.

He saves the page and turns off the kindle, putting it under his pillow before attempting for an early night himself.

*

He wakes up to another thank you note, this one simple; just the two words written on the back of a Dollar Store receipt and left on the beanbag. Luke smiles at it before putting it in the drawer he threw the last one in; going about his day.

That night, Ashton tells Luke he's staying at Liam's. Luke decides that if Ashton is allowed to trash the house on the weekends, then so is he. So he tells Brandon to bring the weed and get the girls, and come to his house for the night.

There's still alcohol left over from the previous night, so eventually, they start mixing the two substances; drinking one, smoking another. Music plays on the TV, and soon they're all gone enough that everything is intense and funny and  _good_ , and Luke loves his friends so intensely he has to tell them all individually; getting similar responses back.

There are dollar bills on the floor; thrown at Leia when she did a faux stripped tease and took off her jacket and t-shirt, leaving her in a pretty grey bralette. There's ash and red cups covering the table; opened spirit bottles all around the room, and a pile of pre-rolled joints in a tin on the middle of the table, and the room is filled with smoke.

 _Heaven_  by Julia Michaels begins playing on the TV, and Leia screams, turning it up so it flows through the house, standing up and dancing slow and sensual. Luke eggs her on; same as the other two, and then she struts over to the sofa, taking the joint from between Luke's fingers, and putting it in her mouth, taking a drag before handing it back. Just as Luke takes it, she straddles his leg.

"Lapdance!" Brandon yells, and Arzaylea screams as Luke and Leia break into laughter. She raises an eyebrow at him, and he's stuck grinning from the weed, so she shrugs before starting to roll her body into him, letting him smoke and laugh and help. The other two seems to think its the most entertaining thing in the world, because they start scraping one's from the floor and throwing them again, still screaming and laughing and telling her to do things like twerk.

She seems to have done this before, because she's know exactly what she's doing; and how to look good while doing it; moving her body in ways Luke can't even begin to comprehend. At one point in the song, she drops backwards, holding herself up with her thighs against him, and Arzaylea screams encouragement at her, laughing while Brandon's jaw seems to have dropped. Luke throws his head back, laughing before pulling her back up. She grinds into him, singing the words, as Luke blows smoke at her. They're covered in the one's.

Luke, on instinct, looks towards the living room door as it opens. At first he thinks it's by itself, but then he see's Ashton, followed shortly by Liam, Calum, Michael and Louis; gawping. Leia jumps off him, hysterical but blushing harder than ever and Luke quickly stubs out the joint in the ashtray, pausing the music.

Luke opens his mouth, waiting for an explanation to come so he can stop the gawping and shock. But nothing does. He pulls a face, showing all his teeth, as if to say, 'oops'.

"You want a joint?" Is the smart thing that comes out of his mouth.

Ashton stares at him for a minute, Luke trying not to laugh at how fucking ridiculous this is, before he closes the living room door, picks up a joint from the tin, and lights it.

He un-pauses the music, playing a more upbeat song, and all nine of them get completely off their faces together. Luke doesn't ask why Ashton didn't stay out the entire night, but he doesn't mind, because at least he can guilt his brother into helping him clean up tomorrow now that he's involved.

 _Friends_  by Marshmello and Anne-Marie comes on later in the night, Arzaylea laughing and screaming, that this, "Is totally your song!"

"What?" Luke laughs.

"To Aleisha," She giggles.

"Who's Aleisha?" Calum asks almost absentmindedly.

"Someone who has a crush on Lukey-boy over here," Brandon says. Ashton, Michael, Louis and Liam all sit up properly, Ash grinning at him. "But loverboy won't bite."

There's a gaggle of teasing, Luke shaking his head.

Later in the night, Michael sits next to him, pressing right up against his side and smelling of weed, leaning to his ear to be heard over the loud music - the volume kept creeping up through the night, Luke did nothing to stop it.

"I'm staying in your room tonight," He says, warm breath all over Luke's neck. He hums in approval of that warmth, leaning in drunkenly so Michael's lips press right against the skin of his ear. Nobody moves away, "Is Leia your girlfriend?"

"No," Luke shakes his head, eyebrows scrunching.

"She gave you a lapdance," Michael says, lips still moving against his ear. Luke shivers at the warmth on his neck this time, moving his head so Michael's mouth moves around his ear. "We all saw."

"We were bein' egged on, and it was funny. Love her as a friend, she's the same with me."

"What about Arzaylea?" Michael whispers.

"Jus' friends." Luke turns to him them, slowly because of how off-his-face he is, and if anyone were to look back at them, they'd almost look ready to kiss with how close they end up. Luke opens his mouth, stares at Michael's bottle green eyes, "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Luke, dance with me!" Arzaylea yells, making Luke break away suddenly, pulling so they're not too close. Michael's hand brushes against his as he stands up, and Luke squeezes his own into a fist, feeling the warmth of another touch on it.

He dances, and thinks no more about any of it due to the state everyone is in.

*

He wakes up in his own bed, in a state that's pure misery, and groans, squeezing his eyes closed and trying to move. There's a weight blocking him, and he looks down to see an arm around him; a body pressed up against his back. He groans again, groggy and maybe even still drunk, and turns over, the other person - Michael, he realises - groaning too.

"I feel awful," Michael moans in a rough voice, blinking at him briefly, eyes rimmed red and raw. Luke nods, the feeling giving him a headache, and feels Michael pull him closer. Luke presses his face into Michael's shirt, gripping his bicep and letting the faint smell of aftershave mixed with smoke lull him back to sleep.

*

He wakes up hours later alone, and presses his hands against his head; willing the pain to go away. He sits up slowly, looking at the beanbag; seeing a piece of paper on it and smiling - because of course Michael left another note. He gets up, and a bottle of water on his bedside table catches his attention, two small pills beside it.

"Thank God for Michael Clifford," Luke whispers, grabbing them and downing the water, deciding to thank him later. The note on his beanbag simply says:

_Hope the pills help nurse that God awful hangover I know you'll also have. Had to leave for work, thank you for sharing your bed as per x_

He reads it four times. Looks at the kiss at the end.

He gets out the other two notes - lacking kisses - and sits on the edge of his bed. He stuffs all three into the drawer after reading them over, grabbing a cigarette and his lighter from it, and makes the journey downstairs to face the cleaning job that has to be done before their parents are home.

*

The Wednesday after that, Luke runs into Michael in the hall, and for some reason - despite being one of the most popular people in his year, and having known Michael Clifford most of his goddamn life - all he can say is, "The flowers you got me died," before hurrying away out of embarrassment. Michael's dumbstruck look stays in his head all goddamn day, and Luke can still feel a burning against his body where Michael lay pressed against him Saturday night.

*

"I think I might have a crush on someone."

Arzaylea spits her drink across the table in some sort of spray form, and Luke tries to shield himself and Brandon, but knows they both get the worst of it.

"Ew!"

"What?!" She yells, making people look over from behind the counter in the cafe they're in. Luke blushes, putting a finger to his lips to try and get her to calm down. "You never get crushes!" She whisper-yells. Luke shrugs, face going darker by the second as he plays with the straw in his milkshake.

"Yeah," he shrugs. "I don't know."

The three of his friends seem to be in shock. Luke looks up at them, all staring at him and grinning like maniacs. Luke laughs. Trust them to make it weird.

"He's joking," Leia announces, slamming her hands onto the table. "Called it first."

"Oh my God, I'm allowed to have a little crush on someone. It's not like anything's going to happen, anyway," he shrugs. "It's stupid," he realises suddenly. Because he can't have a crush on fucking Michael Clifford, of all people. Not after six months ago. Not even before. Ashton would slaughter them both; he'd cut Michael off completely, they'd have another huge fight that they wouldn't recover from, and Luke would feel so torn between Michael and Ashton that-

He's overthinking.

"It's just never going to happen," Luke explains, "I shouldn't have told you. It'll go away."

"It'll go away?" Brandon repeats, forehead creasing. "Dude... you know you're  _allowed_  to have a crush, right?" He frowns, and then grins suddenly, "Is it that new science teacher? Miss. Davis. God, she is  _fit_."

"Gross," Leia says, before turning back to Luke - who's still frowning. "Babe, who is it? You don't need to make it go away- that'd be stupid. We've been friends for a year now and this is the first crush you've literally  _ever_  had in that time."

" _Is_  it the new science teacher?" Arzaylea gasps. "Luke!"

"No!" He laughs, "No, it's nothing. Forget it, okay? It's dumb."

They seem to want to press on the subject, but let it go anyway.

*

On Friday, he, Brandon and a few other guys crash a party they weren't invited too purely for something fun to do. Aleisha is there, and turns out, she did find someone prettier and with a (questionably) higher IQ. It doesn't stop her from flirting with him a little, and college boy - same height as Luke, a hell of a lot more built - doesn't take a liking to it. In fact, it turns out to be his party, and so when Aleisha spends the night clinging to Luke, and Luke spends most of his time ignoring her, the guy looks personally insulted.

"Luke, we gotta go."

"What?" Luke asks, Aleisha sitting next to him, as always at parties.

"Your boyfriend's a college dude?" Brandon asks her. She shrugs, drunk. "He's gonna fucking jump you or some shit. We need to go. Arzaylea is outside to take us home."

"Alright, no need to be pushy," Luke laughs. He gets up, and brushes himself off. Aleisha stands up too, and he sighs. "Stay here, yeah? See you at school."

"No, Lukey!" She moans, "You should stay. He's not my boyfriend, please just stay."

Luke manages to shake her off and follow Brandon outside. He gets out a cigarette, lights it and leans against the house. Arzaylea walks over to them, her hair swooshing in the wind.

"Luke, get in the car," she says quietly. "Now, get in the car  _now_."

"What?"

She starts pulling him.

"Hey, blondie?!" He turns, and that college asshole is following them, along with two of his friends and Aleisha. He runs to the car with her then, half laughing. "You think this is fucking funny?! Fight me like a fucking man!"

They get in, Luke still smoking, and he see's one of asshole's friends lead them to a car across the street. Arzaylea speeds off.

"Fucking hell, man." Brandon says. "He looks like he could beat the  _shit_  out of you."

Luke just laughs. They ride to Brandon's first, for him to get some stuff to stay at Luke's, and then finally go to Luke's. He's a bit tired now, probably from all the blocking he had to do with Aleisha.

She parks outside his front lawn; the light through the curtains letting Luke know that somebody is still awake in the house, and Luke and Brandon go to get out. But then there are figures across the street, watching them.

Luke gets out and slams the door.

"You told them where I live?!" He yells to Aleisha.

"No running now, right, Luke?" The guy - college fucking asshole - laughs back, walking over to him and rolling up his sleeves. Brandon gets out, and so does Arzaylea.

"Get back in the car," Luke tells her. Her mouth drops open. "Please. Get back in the car, and lock it."

"Man, what the fuck is your problem?" Brandon asks. Aleisha seems so drunk one of the guys has to help her cross the road.

College asshole doesn't want to talk. He punches Luke, no hesitation, throwing his weight around. Brandon tries taking the other guy who's not holding up Aleisha, and it's a complete mess.

"What's the fucking problem?!" Luke yells, mid trying to block another punch, to avoid his eye stinging anymore than it already does.

"You're my problem," he says, "Think you're fucking better than me? Flirting with my girl all night while I'm there? Have some respect!" He spits, and then goes for it again. Luke doesn't get into fights. He's tall and uncoordinated, and a bit like a baby giraffe trying to walk for the first time; so he doesn't see the appeal in provoking someone who could easily beat the shit out of him - no questions asked. But he really does feel he didn't provoke this one. Aleisha, definitely, but he took no part in it.

"Have some respect for yourself, dude! She's obviously not that into you!" Although, he will admit, sometimes, he does provoke when provoked himself. So it's not really unexpected when the third guy leaves Aleisha to come and help hold Luke's arms back so he can't defend himself properly.

"Luke!" Arzaylea screams. She's on the lawn.

"Get in the car!" He screams back.

"That your girly friend?" College asshole asks, "She must be heartbroken." He grins at her, and she takes a step back, looking at him frozen.

Liz, Michael and Ashton - who were peacefully watching a re-run of Friends on the TV waiting for James to get home from work - hear the commotion. They go outside, onto the porch, and Liz gasps, immediately grabbing Ashton to make sure he doesn't go and do something stupid. Luke has a guy holding his arms behind his back, and there's a tall, muscly guy standing in front of him, staring at Arzaylea. Brandon, Luke's other best friend, is fighting another gym-going guy, and the noise is complete chaos.

"Maybe I could console her, make her feel real fucking good. Bet she's got a tight little-"

Luke spits in his face.

He gets punched, and Arzaylea screams. "Shut up, bitch." The guy hisses to her, not that she'd even hear it from where they are, but it pisses Luke off. "Lucky she's got a good set of tits." Luke struggles against him.

"Watch your mouth." He says instead.

"Or what?" He torments. "I could give that little bitch a good time. She wouldn't even remember  _your_  name. In fact, I'll show her right now. Get her nice and wet. Put on a show for you."

She can't hear him, but she doesn't stop screaming, and college asshole turns around to face her.

"Mom," Ashton says, begging behind her. She's standing at the top of the few stairs to get down to the yard, blocking it so neither Michael nor Ashton can get involved. She has the cops on the phone.

Luke gets free enough hit the guy behind him, kicking him in the balls afterwards to keep him down for a while, and is punched just enough to feel his nose bend the wrong way, and blood starts spurting out of it. He cannot catch a break.

Suddenly Michael is there, having jumped over the fence and then off the porch, easily an 8ft jump, and he's beating into the guy so hard that Luke can't even comprehend what happened. He wastes no time, grabbing Arzaylea and pulling her towards the house, shoving her up the stairs. His Mom almost looks static, when he locks eyes with her. Ashton has followed Michael's footsteps, and has jumped over the wall too.

"I've phoned the cops!" Liz yells suddenly, and all three boys look at her before sprinting away, leading Aleisha to the car and speeding down the road far too fast. "Get in the house," she hisses at the remainder of them, "Get in the goddamn house, now."

Not even ten minutes later, Luke paces the living room, while Arzaylea, Brandon, Michael and Ashton sit on the sofa; waiting for Liz to enter.

She comes in quietly, after apologising to the police and saying they drove away and in what car, and enters the living room. "What the hell was that about?" She's looking at Luke. He continues pacing, biting his tongue, breathing through his nose and gritting his teeth. There's blood all over his face, all over his knuckles, splattered up his shirt. "Luke Robert-"

"He fucking started it!" Luke yells at her. She licks her teeth, obviously not liking the profanity, but nods. "I did nothing wrong!"

"Luke,"

"I don't need a lecture right now," he breathes, "He fucking started it. Cunt."

_"Luke!"_

"I told you to stay in the car!" He yells at Arzaylea suddenly. She reels back into the sofa. "You- God, Arz! They could've fucking done  _anything_! Do you understand that?!"

"I'm sorry," she says quietly. "You were being hurt."

He starts pacing again, everyone watching him go up and down the room.

"What happened, Luke?" Liz asks again, stern enough that the tone sets Luke off again.

"That asshole happened! Whoever the fuck that was! Ask them!" He takes a deep breath. "I'm so fucking pissed off, just wanna hit something." Liz goes into the kitchen, and returns seconds later with a mug she always complains is too big for her coffee, so she can't get the right coffee-water ratio. She holds it out wordlessly, and Luke nods at her, taking it and, without warning, uses all his force to throw it against the farthest wall away from everyone, watching it shatter into pieces across the floor.

"Better?"

"Honestly, a little." Luke nods, finally sitting down on the floor, leaning his head back against the wall. "He's some college asshole, thought I was flirting with his girlfriend, when clearly, I was not interested. We left, they followed us home."

"So why the aggression?"

Luke looks up, full off blood. "Gee," he says, blood dripping off his chin, "Why could that be?"

Liz nods, "Right, you're bleeding, I can see that. That wouldn't make you so mad that you'd use that disgusting language in front of me."

Luke thinks back to the way he spoke about Arzaylea as she was stood right there, and shakes his head frantically, seething. "Just. Stuff."

"Stuff?" Liz asks.

"Stuff he was saying," Luke hisses. "Okay. Just stuff. Drop it."

"Alright, we'll have a talk tomorrow." She says, "Go and clean yourself off, in fact, Michael, could you..."

"Yeah," he says, standing up. "Yeah, sure."

*

Luke sits on the bathroom counter, Michael between his legs, dabbing at his face with red and split knuckles himself. Luke calms down a little with time. As someone who is working to study medicine and has an internship at a hospital, Michael is the only person in the house with the knowledge of anatomy and gentle enough hand to sort Luke out right now, and Liz knows it just as well as everyone else.

"Didn't take you for a fighter, now, Hemmings."

"I'm not," Luke grumbles. "I barely fought. Did you see the other guy? He looked great." Michael smiles and shakes his head. "Thank you, for um, helping, I guess."

"Yeah, Liz might kill me, huh?" He laughs. "Didn't like seeing you like that. I couldn't take it, jumping from the wall was my only option down there."

_I couldn't take it._

Luke wraps his legs around him in some sort of thanks; to keep him there; to really see what the dynamics of this little crush are. And when Michael looks up at him in question, smiling softly, Luke realises how much of a crush he's actually got. It knocks him back a little, how fucking gorgeous he suddenly finds Michael Clifford. How red his lips are, matching his hair, how green his eyes stand out against pale skin; how beautiful he is when he smiles; how every smile radiates warmth.

Luke's head drops back to the mirror, "God, you're pretty."

"What?" Michael asks suddenly, taking a step back so Luke's legs detach from him.

"Nothing," Luke says. Michael steps forward slowly, eyeing him, before gently dabbing the last bits of blood away from his nose.

"It's not broken," he says, "Just bruised. Same as your eye. And chin-"

"I get it; I got my ass kicked." Luke shakes his head. "He pissed me off so much, the shit he was saying about Arz-" he shakes his head again. "I just wanted her to get in the car. I wasn't even worried about myself."

"Maybe... maybe you like her?" He looks confused. Luke wonders if this is an out Michael is using the void the earlier 'pretty' comment. If it is, Luke doesn't take it.

"No, she's like my sister."

"Oh," Michael says quietly, still using cotton pads to get the blood off his face, before moving to his hands to clean those up too. "Anyone you do like? You're kinda popular now, huh?"

Luke smiles and shakes his head, "Still like my small friendship group though. And maybe," he whispers, "I don't know. I never get crushes."

"But now maybe you do?" Michael asks, still messing with his hands. Luke wish he'd just look up so he could gauge the reactions Michael gave to his words.

"Yeah," Luke breathes, watching him carefully clean the blood between the webs of Luke's fingers. "Maybe I do."

Michael looks up at him, lips parted slightly, and Luke just stares. Wonders if he's being obvious. If he's making the biggest mistake of his life by dropping subtle hints. God, Ashton really would hate Luke doing this. He'd completely despise it. Maybe Luke should tell someone he has the biggest bloody crush on a guy, just to start - see where that gets him, and if this is a one off thing. Maybe he's never had a crush on a girl because he's never liked  _girls_. Looking into Michael's eyes, he wonders if he'd ever met a girl he could find so beautiful with such intensity. He hasn't.

He wonders what Michael is thinking about.

"Well..." Michael says suddenly, his hands as clean as they can be after the fight, "I hope your maybe-crush goes well. I hope Ashton approves."

Luke hears the out this time - loud and clear. He nods, jumping down from the counter and walking out of the bathroom, but the door closes behind him, and Michael stays put. Despite his friends being downstairs, he goes straight to bed, putting his head under the cover and thinking about Michael's words.

_I hope Ashton approves._

Meaning,  _I understand your implication, but I'm your brother's best friend and it's not going to happen._

Maybe it's the anger, the fact he was tired before the fight, or the rejection, but something makes Luke fall asleep within seconds.

*

He's woken up by his Mom stroking his hair, sitting up on his bed.

"I'm sorry," Luke rasps immediately. "The just - they really got to me, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, baby. God... your face." She shakes her head. "Did Michael say whether you had to go to the Doctors or not?" Luke feels a stab in the chest at his name alone.

"I'm just bruised, not broken." Luke says, ignoring the intense pain he feels all over in order to sit up too; wincing. "Everything hurts."

"Brandon and Arz are downstairs. James has gone to work and I have to go soon too. Are you going to be okay?" Luke nods, ignoring that the action makes him want to throw up. "Get up, we have a full house down there; and you're my less reckless son." She smiles, then quickly adds. "Usually."

Luke laughs a little, slowly peeling himself out of bed. He looks down at the blood stained shirt and pulls it over himself, hissing. His Mom's intake of breath makes him stop.

"What?"

"Lu," she whispers, standing up to help him take it off. He looks down when there's a pressure on his stomach, her pressing her fingers against the bruising littering it. "I'm taking the day off."

"You don't need to do that, Ma, honestly," Luke says, frowning at the blue, red and purple disguising usually pale skin. "It's fine, doesn't even hurt that much."

"You'll let Michael look? Just to be safe." She asks, pouting. Luke nods even though he doesn't want to, and then puts on a clean shirt she's gotten out for him. She helps him downstairs with a lot of protest, picking at pieces of his hair and asking him if he needs anything, and reiterating that she could still phone in sick. "I just worry," she says, as she opens the living room door for him.

"You're being ridiculous," Luke mutters, walking in with her following. Ashton, Calum, Michael, Brandon and Arzaylea  _stare_. Hard enough that Luke wonders how bad he actually looks. "I'm great, no need to all ask at once."

"Michael, look at his stomach," Liz says.

Luke turns back to her, eyes wide and throwing out his hands a little. 'Now?' He mouths. She just waves him off.

"Um, okay."

Liz steps closer to him, looking at him in some sort of funny way, before she grabs the bottom of his shirt. "Woman!" Luke says, pulling back from her, and cringing when a stab of pain goes through his entire body. "It doesn't even hurt."

"Tell that to your face," Arzaylea says. "What's on your stomach?"

"It's just a little bruise, Mom's being Mom." Liz raises an eyebrow, and he blows a kiss at her.

"That's not nearly as charming when you have a black eye and a busted nose," Liz says in reply. "And to think, you were the pretty one of my kids."

"Hey!" Ashton protests. "I'm pretty!"

"Well, in comparison, you are now." Brandon says, smirking. Ashton hits him with a pillow, and suddenly Luke realises the insult.

"I'm not pretty anymore?"

"You're gorgeous," Michael says suddenly. The others keep talking, but Luke focuses on that comment alone, staring as usual. Michael shrugs, small smile a bit forced. Liz looks between them, and then kisses Luke's forehead. "Come and show me the bruise on your stomach, yeah?"

Luke can't say no. He just nods, saying bye to his Mom as she tells them all she's leaving for work and going back up to the bathroom so Michael can lock the door and look at yet another injury. He almost has PTSD from the night previously, when he was indirectly rejected.

"I'm gonna lift your shirt now," he says. Luke nods, and then its happening. As he does it, Luke looks in the mirror beside them, scanning the swollen eye surrounded by dark colours, and the nose with a cut right across the middle, split open. There are smaller cuts in other places, and bruises on his cheeks.

"I look awful."

Michael stops looking and prodding at the bruise to meet his eyes in the mirror. Luke's line of sight flickers to him before looking back at his own face.

"You're fucking beautiful," Michael breathes, looking back to the bruise, "Shut up. Bruises go away."

"The cut on my nose will scar, won't it?"

"Maybe, love, I'm not sure. I don't think it will though. They only got like ten percent of your body anyway."

Luke gives him a look, because no, they got his face and torso. His face, for God's sake. He looks awful.

Michael smiles, still not looking up, "Because you're ninety percent legs, Hemmings. It's a joke."

"Fuck you," Luke laughs. "How's it looking?"

"It'll go away in a few days, it looks bad now because of how sensitive the skin on the stomach is, but it's nothing serious. Probably just going to ache for the next few days."

Luke hums, looking down at him and biting his bottom lip. Michael stands up suddenly, and Luke smiles stiffly, his shirt still stuck up from where Michael had propped it.

"Thank you, Doctor Clifford." He knows his tone changes completely, a little more sultry, a hell of a lot flirty. Michael's eyes flash, the smile gone and replaced with something else; something stern and maybe a little desperate. Luke's smile forms slowly, licking his top teeth as he does, and then he feels the cut across his lip, and remembers exactly how he looks. Michael's still staring at him, biting his lip now, playing with his own hands. "Don't look at me like that when I look this bad."

He frowns, and then, voice a bit rough, "I can look at you however the fuck I want."

Luke feels his insides turn to jelly, almost physically shivering. He pulls the shirt down, stepping closer to him, and then, whilst leaning over him, unbolts the lock on the door. Michael stays completely still.

Luke presses his mouth to Michael's ear, opening the door slowly, "About my maybe-crush?" He asks quietly, "I really don't think Ashton would approve," he shrugs, waits a few seconds, "But Ashton doesn't get a say in my love life."

And with that, he slips out, and closes the door behind himself.

Grinning like a maniac, he goes back downstairs.

*

Monday at school seems to drag. Leia isn't in, and he misses his gossip session in maths with her far too much after just one day. Everyone asks about how busted up he is, and says what Aleisha did was fucked up - her friends aren't speaking to her. Luke see's them ignoring her in the canteen, see's her eating alone and feels bad for a little while because she  _was_  completely wasted, really. She doesn't apologise though, or even look at him, so Luke's guilt is quickly pressed down.

When the end of the day comes, he's pretty much ready to go to bed. He meets Brandon, Arzaylea and two of their other friends; Harry and Zayn, outside Arzaylea's last class of the day with the plan of her driving them all home, and then they walk to the front building together, laughing and joking with each other.

As they're walking across the car park from the front doors, Arzaylea grips his arm, stopping him and then Brandon, making the other boys stop too. Luke raises an eyebrow.

She pointedly looks to where she's parked, and - and fucking  _great_. College asshole is staring at him, a semi-crying Aleisha next to him, with the same two asshole friends from Friday night. He seems to be parked a few spaces over, where his friends are sitting on a car bonnet, but he's stood in front of Arzaylea's car. Luke's heart-rate drops.

"What the fuck?" Brandon asks quietly. "What the fuck do we do?"

"Let's just go," Luke says, trying to act like he isn't scared out of his fucking mind. There are students everywhere; people who know them, and hopefully wouldn't just stand by and watch.

"Luke..." Is all Brandon can reply. But Luke's already walking in front of them, Arzaylea behind him, determined. College asshole grins and leans in to whisper something to Aleisha. She scurries away to a car Luke can only assume belongs to asshole, giving Luke a solemn look as she does, and then his friends join him.

Luke swallows the liquid in his mouth.

"Well hasn't someone had a rough weekend?" Asshole asks as they approach.

"Is this what you do for fun?" Luke asks before he can help himself, "Stalk seventeen year old boys at their school? Cause honestly, it's a little creepy, and I'm not at all flattered."

"What?" Asshole hisses. Luke ignores him and takes the keys from Arzaylea's hand, stalking closer to them in order to open the door. He won't risk pressing the key until he's the only one near enough to get in the car, just in case. He can feel the worry radiate from his friends. "Don't ignore me." Luke gets pushed backwards; into the road and almost being hit by a car being driven by a student. Luckily, the limit is only 5mph, and she blares her horn before going round him. "Oops, I missed."

"Are you twelve?" Luke asks. "Fuck you, pervert, get the fuck out of the way."

"What did you just call me?!"

Luke gives him a blank, dirty look. He gets pushed into the road again, the guy stepping forward, pushing him again, until Luke pushes back and then they're fighting.

"For fuck sake, Luke!" Brandon yells, "Let's just go!"

He tries tearing them apart, only for the other two to get involved, and then other people are seeing the commotion; people crowding them and yelling - mostly support at Luke. Luke punches him hard enough that he stumbles back, and then can't bite his words, "I'm sorry your fucking girlfriend is in love with me or some shit! Stop following me around!" One of the other boys; the one that held him back, seems to think Luke is more of a threat, and decides to help tag team him again. Luckily, before Luke can get slaughtered again, Liam, Michael, Ashton and Calum are pushing through the crowd. Michael gets there first, breaking Luke away from the fight before Ashton grabs college asshole. Liam and Calum break up Brandon and the other one, but college asshole is still riled.

"Round two and you still lose," He sneers.

Michael speaks before Luke can. The crowd seem to have quietened, still listening, some recording. Luke wants to roll his eyes.

"Dude," he's still holding Luke, but instead of fighting against it, Luke is subtly leaning into it, thankful for having the chance to breathe instead of protect himself. "You've assaulted a minor twice within the span of four days, don't sound so proud of yourself. Walk away before I convince him to press charges and get you put away for life." The two friends push through people to get back to the car, and soon enough, college asshole follows. Luke rips away from Michael and goes to Arzaylea's car, unlocking it and getting in without another word.

"Show's over!" He hears Ashton shout, and see's him walk over to Michael - probably to thank him or some shit.

Arzaylea drops everyone off, Luke on his own, and then goes home with the promise of texting him later to see how he's doing. Luke sits on the grass, leant against the wall with his head back, and fumbles around his bag. Finally, he finds cigarettes, and lights one.

Michael's car pulls up when he's halfway through, and to his surprise, only Michael gets out. He locks the door, and then strolls to Luke.

"Smoking is bad for your health," he says, sitting down on the grass next to him. "Ashton's gone to Niall's, how're you feeling?"

"You're not going to Niall's?"

"He wanted me to check on you, see if you have anymore bruises."

Luke rolls his eyes, stubbing out the cigarette before standing up abruptly and walking to the steps. "I don't need my brother sending a babysitter. Go home." Before he can climb up the steps to get to the front door, arms wrap around his shoulders and pull him back into a body.

"And I'd like to put my own mind at rest," Michael says, head leaning over Luke's shoulder. "So please," he adds quietly, "Let me check."

"Okay," Luke breathes, stepping away from him and walking up. Michael follows closely, and when Luke gets to the door, he has to fumble to get his key out of his pocket. The house is silent and eerie; nobody but Ashton due home for hours, and Luke throws his bag on the stairs before pulling his jacket off and hanging it up. Michael follows suit.

They go to the living room in silence, Luke quickly turning on the TV, standing in front of it before Michael sits down. He takes off his shirt; holds his arms out as if he's saying 'here you go' and watches as Michael's eyes drop down to his stomach.

"It's gone down," he says, "Come here." He holds out his arm, making Luke walk forward until he's stood close enough that Michael can pull him in and press at the fading bruises. They're beginning to go yellow. "I could just  _fucking_  kill him."

"Obviously, I can't," Luke says, dropping down next to him on the couch with his shirt abandoned on the floor near the TV. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore. I mean, looking in the mirror hurts emotionally," he jokes, "But eh."

"I meant what I said on Friday night."

Luke remembers the gorgeous comment that first got his attention, and Michael saying he was beautiful. Pushing his boundaries, he replies, "That I'm ninety percent legs?"

Michael just nods and laughs, leaning back. Luke throws on a re-run of Criminal Minds, settling back and looking over at him. He raises an eyebrow back.

"Wanna stay and watch Criminal Minds with me?"

"Yeah, but I have work at six, so I'll have to leave at like, half five." Luke nods, turning up the volume before grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch and throwing it over them both. "So what do you wanna do?" Luke looks at him, "I think everyone in Michigan knows I want to be a doctor - no pressure from that at all - what do you wanna do?"

"You're practically already a doctor, Clifford." Luke laughs. "You already work in the hospital and everything. All you have to do is like, eight years of college after getting your high school diploma." Luke smiles at him to stress the joke, "It's nothing."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I did not."

From the corner of his eye, Luke see's Michael grin.

"So..."

"It's stupid," Luke says, "And has nothing on being a doctor, I'm not telling you."

"Hey, do what you wanna do - anyone who doesn't need to do eight years in college to get where they want to be gets props from me."

Luke shakes his head.

"Watch the programme," he says with a wide smile, seeing Michael shake his head. On a whim, he pulls up the blanket, and leans into Michael's shoulder, pretending it's completely normal and not just cuddling up to his brother's best friend. Michael puts an arm around him, and no matter how uncomfortable he finds it, Luke stays there with a secret smile on his lips.

They both shuffle around enough that Luke ends up between his legs, both of them lying down to watch the programme, until eventually Luke is comfortable enough that he drifts off to sleep.

He wakes up completely on top of the red-head, with Michael's arms tight around him and their legs intertwined, Michael's face facing his. Luke blinks, and glances to the TV. The clock above it reads 17:54.

"Michael," Luke nudges him with his nose, "We fell asleep." Michael groans, "You have six minutes to get to work." Luke can see him blinking himself awake. "Mikey."

"I don't wanna," he tightens him arms. Luke leans back into him, breathing into his cheek as he closes his eyes again. Just as he's drifting off, he hears him mumbling, "Don't fall asleep babe, I have to go."

"Babe?" Luke repeats in the same groggy voice. Michael just hums and squeezes his arms tighter, pulling his body, and Luke by default, up before trying to sit up properly. "Stay here, call in sick."

"I can't, Ashton's gonna be home soon."

"So?" Luke asks, sitting up slightly so that Michael is pulled up with him after his first failed attempt. He drops back down after releasing his arms.

"So I have to go to work. How long do I have?"

Luke looks at the clock. "One minute."

He sits up, de-tangling himself with Luke slowly but surely, before padding to the hallway and putting on his shoes. Luke leans against the front door, pouting. He grabs his jacket, and then walks over to Luke, giving him a tired smile. Luke doesn't move.

"Lucas," Michael sighs, smile lobsided. He tries to pull him away, but Luke stays put, even pulling him in so he collapses against Luke's body. Michael presses their foreheads together, whispering, "I have to go." His hands lightly brush Luke's hips, making Luke jolt at the touch, pressing forward into him. Michael turns and pushes him lightly against the wall next to the door, "I'm really late," he says, but he doesn't move away.

"You are."

"What do you wanna be when you're older?" Michael asks in a whisper, lips so close to just brushing his.

"Music composition," Luke admits quietly. "I want to be a song writer."

"You're ridiculously fuckin' cute, do you know that?" Michael replies in the same low whisper. "It suits you." He squeezes his eyes closed, pulls away, and opens the front door. He closes it behind himself without looking back, and Luke slides down the wall and blinks, thanking God his dick managed to stay down during that whole ordeal.

*

"I..." Arzaylea, Leia and Brandon all turn to look at him. Luke sighs, looking at his milkshake and then putting his head in his hands. "I  _really_  fucking like someone."

"Oh my God, he was serious," Leia whispers.

"This sucks, how do you guys do this crushing shit?" Luke asks.

"Just ask her out." Arzaylea says, "We always appreciate the honesty, right?" Luke looks up to Leia nodding in agreement.

"I can't do that."

"Dude, you're pretty hot. I highly doubt whoever it is will reject you."

Luke just groans. "I don't think they will either. It's just." He leans back into the chair. They're all waiting for him to continue, hooked. "It's not exactly a conventional relationship."

"It's the fucking science teacher, isn't it?"

"For fuck sake, she's not even that hot," Luke replies to Arzaylea's comment. Brandon's mouth drops open, shaking his head in disagreement. "No, for the final time, it is not the science teacher."

"Why are you grinning if you're this worried about it?" Leia asks.

"Because..." Luke mumbles, shaking his head. "Because I'm so fucked with this one, and it's the first person I've ever properly had a thing for. Typical."

"That does sound a lot like something you'd do." Arzaylea shrugs. "You gonna go for it?"

Luke thinks of Ashton, and how he'd even begin to react to Luke having a major thing for one of his best friends, and shakes his head, and then, after a few minutes when they're all thinking over the conversation and the table is silent, he says, "But I just wanna  _fucking_  grab him and kiss 'im until I can't  _breathe_  sometimes."

Arzaylea makes an array of hand motions with wide eyes, Leia's mouth falls open, and with a mouthful of smoothie, Brandon echos, "Him?"

Luke snorts, "Oh shit, did I not mention that?"

"No!" Arzaylea semi-yells in a squeaky voice.

Luke just laughs, "Yeah."

"If it's Brandon, I'm gonna be disappointed in you for having such low standards." Leia jokes.

Luke turns to Brandon, and puts a hand on top of his. "Sorry bro."

He wipes a faux tears, "I've wanted this for so long. I hope you don't mind lowering your standards for me."

Luke laughs again, pulling away and picking up his drink, leaning back against the booth. "God, he's fucking hot though."

"Brandon?"

"No, dickhead. The guy I like."

"I'm hot too though, right?" Brandon asks, winking. Luke rolls his eyes, giving a faint nod and squeezing his bicep, raising an eyebrow at how firm it is. "Ooh, just like that." Luke throws his head back in laughter.

"Okay, fuck you guys, new conversation topic."

They all look disappointed that they can't joke about Luke and Brandon's secret romance for much longer, but let it go to bitch about Aleisha for a little while.

*

Luke wakes up on Saturday morning to an alarm clock blaring  _Wannabe_  by The Spice Girls on full volume. He lifts his head in confusion, wondering why, on a fine Saturday morning in which he usually sleeps in, he's about to have Mel B tell him what she really, really wants.

"I don't care about what you want," he tells her. "Where is that coming from?"

He looks around, collapsing down again when he see's Michael's red hair sticking out of the cover. He pulls the cover off, poking him.

"Yes, Lucas?" He groans, wincing at the music before pulling out a phone from under the pillow, making the song louder, before he promptly presses snooze.

"Why are you in my bed?" Luke asks. "Not that I'm complaining."

He nuzzles into the pillow like he can't be bothered talking. "Had a drink with Ash and James last night, and didn't wanna drive. Prefer waking up to your God awful face on my Saturday's, obviously."

"That's just rude," Luke says, leaning back into his own pillow, facing Michael. "What time is it?"

"Six."

"In the morning?!"

"I have work in an hour," Michael groans, "Fuck. Come here." Luke shuffles closer to him, letting Michael tangle them together. "Sorry my alarm woke you," he apologises, kissing Luke's hair softly and briefly. Luke's eyes widen. "Never usually does."

"It's okay," Luke says, kissing his cheek hesitantly. Michael pulls him closer.

"I'm exhausted, shouldn't have stayed up so late last night. Work is gonna be a fucking nightmare."

Luke shuffles against him, licking his lips and then biting one. He really does look exhausted, eyes dark and skin pale - he's looks like he's in pain every time he has to speak, maybe because he's wasting precious snooze time. "Hey," Luke whispers, "I'm gonna make you a coffee, okay? Hopefully it'll wake you up before you drive."

Michael's eyes open blearily, then he nods, looking a bit dumbstruck.

As he's closing his bedroom door, he hears Michael's alarm go off again, and sees the boy huff before sitting up with a pout on his face. He pads downstairs to find Liz and James sitting at the kitchen table.

"You're up early," James notes, "Feeling alright?"

"Making Michael a coffee cause he's exhausted," Luke explains, wiping at his eyes before flicking the switch to the kettle and setting a cup down. Liz and James share a look he misses, Liz raising an eyebrow with a smile and James smirking back behind his own coffee. Luke puts a teaspoon of coffee in the cup and mixes in the milk as he waits for the kettle to boil.

Michael enters the kitchen in clothes from the previous night, hair more tamed and with minty breath just as Luke pours the water in.

"I told him he didn't have to," he says to Liz and James. Luke grins at the mug, shaking his head as he turns around and gives it to Michael.

"I'm off to work now, anyway," James says, kissing Liz briefly before ruffling Luke's hair and then grabbing his briefcase. Luke and Michael sit at the table, Luke with his head in his arms as Michael and his Mom talk animatedly.

He finds himself drifting in and out of consciousness; his body not used to the early hour, but before he can actually fall asleep at the table, he feels a hand caressing his shoulder, Michael quietly saying, "I've got to go or I'll be late," Luke nods, picking his head up. Michael smiles at him, putting the empty mug in the sink. "Coffee helped, thank you."

He nods, standing up and walking through the living room to the front door after giving Liz a kiss on the cheek, Michael following as he does. He opens the front door as Michael is putting his shoes on, breathing in the fresh air. He jumps when Michael's hand softly grazes his, putting his own hand on the door too.

He softly presses the other to Luke's head, and then puts a lingering kiss on his forehead, "Get some sleep, angel." Luke nods, looking up at him. There's an extended period of silence in which they stare at each other, Luke leaning against the door frame and so focused on his eyes that he could probably draw them from memory if he'd have passed art. "Mamihlapinatapei," Luke blinks at the word. "Google it."

"I couldn't even begin to spell that," Luke whispers back. Michael just smiles softly at him before walking out of the door and down the porch steps to his car. Luke watches him until he's unlocked it, and then steps back into the house, closing the door. "Mamihlapinatapei," He says to himself, "That can't be English."

The Urban Dictionary definition reads,  _the wordless, yet meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something but are both reluctant to start._

It isn't English. 

A smile is glued to his face as he holds his phone to his chest when he's back in bed, and falls asleep.

*

He doesn't see Michael again until Thursday, when he comes home from school to find him, Calum and Ashton sat on the sofa, listening to music.

"Mom and James are going to the cabin tonight cause they don't have work tomorrow," Ashton says dismissively as he walks into the living room. "We're skipping tomorrow and going to the beach, if you wanna get Arz and that, and come with."

"Plan," Luke says, fist bumping him as he walks past. He throws a look to Michael, who was staring at him the entire time, and smiles. Michael doesn't smile back. He ignores it, not thinking about it too much, and grabs a packet of blueberries from the kitchen to go upstairs with.

He hears Michael's excuse to follow him before he's even all the way up the stairs, and waits outside his room.

Luke holds the door open for him.

"I don't think you should come tomorrow," Michael says immediately.

"What?"

"It's just... you've been around me a lot lately, and it's weird, okay?"

Luke's eyebrows furrow, genuinely confused. The words seep into his skin.

"What?" He repeats, the word a lot sharper than before; heavier.

"Calum seems to think I have some sort of thing for you," He says, pacing. Luke can't believe the words coming out of his mouth. "We argued about it and everything. Ashton would  _fucking_  hate me."

"Ashton doesn't control-"

"Your love life, I know." He deadpans. "But I am not your love life, Luke."

"Are you... are you kidding me right now? I can't hang out with my own brother because you're going to be there? What the  _fuck_ , Michael? Where is this even coming from? You wanna get away from me so badly stop climbing into my fucking bed on the weekend, and tell Ashton  _you're_  not going tomorrow!" He's whisper-yelling, knowing that he, himself, wouldn't dare want Ashton know about the little crush he's been harbouring over the past few weeks. A crush that will apparently be gone very soon, if this is the way Michael handles it.

"Climbing into your bed? God, Luke, your brother forced me here cause I couldn't fucking walk by myself the first time!" He seems to have the same idea, because he's whisper-yelling too. "Don't flatter yourself!"

"Flatter myself?!" He feels a cling forming over his eyes that he refuses to let break. "You fucking asshole!" His voice raises as he tries harder to keep the tears back, "Asshole! Get the fuck out! Go back downstairs to Ashton if it's actually that fucking painful to spend time with me at all!"

"Do you know what he'd do if he found out even a  _quarter_  of what I think of you?" Michael keeps his voice low, tone still filled with anger. "He led on my cousin by kissing her once and I was so fucking angry that I fought him in the corridor and refused to acknowledge him for six  _months_."

"Why does that even matter?" Luke asks, pushing him towards the door a little harshly. "You can't stand me anyway!"

"I didn't fucking say that!"

"You may as well have!" Luke screams, so much so he's worried Ashton might've heard. There's a single tear running down his cheek now, but that doesn't matter, because Michael grits his teeth like he's so mad that they might actually start hitting each other, and then he steps forward to make the threat. Instead of the punch Luke was expecting, Michael pushes him back to the wall almost violently, grabbing his face and kissing him so hard and with so much anger that Luke can't help putting his own anger into it too, when he realises what's happening; grabbing a fistful of his hair and squeezing his waist to get him as close as possible.

The kiss is almost a fight itself. Luke finds himself pushing Michael to the bed, bracketing him there by straddling him and kissing him harder, Michael leaning up to get to him easier. There's a lot of tongue, and it's wet and mad and so, so hot that Luke can't help it when he starts grinding against Michael's leg, Michael moaning into his mouth. Michael's hands go around his neck, fingers lacing to pull him closer. This was trouble, Luke knew this was trouble. He had known what they had started to argue about the second they had began arguing, and now here they were, taking out the anger of that argument in a way that completely contradicted it. And Luke knew that he was desperate, and mad, and turned on, but he also knew that kissing Michael felt a bit like falling into bed after a long day; and with that, he knew he was completely and utterly fucked.

"Michael!"

Luke jumps from the bed, stepping as far away from Michael as he possibly can and touching his lips, feeling them burn. He turns around purely because he's a little turned on and, above all, a little embarrassed.

"Fuck," he hears Michael whisper. "Yeah, gimme a min!" He shouts back to Ashton, standing up and ruffling his hair. "Fuck, Luke. We can't do this."

"I know," Luke squeaks. "You kissed me."

"You wanted me to."

Luke turns around, gobsmacked, "I was furious!" He shakes his head, "Ashton... God, this isn't good. This is not good. You should go downstairs."

"Yeah," he stands up. "Yeah." It almost sounds like he's trying to reassure himself. "So are we forgetting this happened or..."

Luke opens his mouth, and then closes it again, looking down. Michael walks over to him, kissing the top of his head as he opens the bedroom door. "Or not, that's cool too. Just. Just please don't tell Ashton. Anyone. I'm sorry, God- I'm fucking awful. I'm really sorry."

With that, he leaves. Luke closes the door behind him and then falls onto his bed, feeling the heat where they were burn him.

*

Luke wakes up unreasonably early, his phone far too bright when its tells him that it's not even 7am yet. Arzaylea and Leia are sharing the beanbag, but Leia has somehow fallen off onto the floor, and on the opposite side of the bed lies Brandon, snoring. Luke huffs, getting up as quietly as he can and grabbing his pack of cigarettes.

He can hear the snoring from Ashton's room too; God knows who from - he's got Michael, Calum, Liam and Niall in there somehow. His mom's bedroom currently holds five girls they'd invited - three from Ashton's friends, two from Luke's - all who had gotten along great and voted they could all manage sharing.

He pads downstairs and opens the squeaky living room door as quietly as possible. Zayn looks up from where he's rolling a cigarette at the table. Luke grins, holds up his own pack. Zayn points to the sofa, where Louis and Harry are pressed together. Luke's eyes widen, he looks back to Zayn.

"What?" He whispers, jaw dropping.

"Kept me awake for ages," Zayn whispers back with a snort, "Proper into each other after just last night, they were talking for bloody hours." Luke's mouth drops, looking back at Louis' arm protectively draped over Harry. "Lou asked him on a date next weekend an' everything."

"Aww," Luke coos. Zayn licks the paper, finishing the roll, and lets Luke lead him to the kitchen. They go out into the fresh air, since it's a pretty nice day, and sit on the grass; Luke closing the door behind them. "So what's going on with you and Lee' now?"

"She hates when you call her that, man." Zayn laughs.

"That's why we do it."

Zayn just laughs, falling back into the grass and looking up at the sky, smoking. Luke lights, and then lies next to him, actually appreciating the morning sky for once in his life.

"Me and Leia... it's complicated." He says casually, taking a drag of the cigarette. "It started ages ago-"

"Since when? Didn't think it was long-haul or anything. You know we all have theories."

Zayn sighs, "Bout six months, if I'm being honest. Got too wasted at some college chicks party and it turned out to Leia's step-sisters party, so she was there. She took care of me all fucking night, Luke - I mean, I was awful, throwing up, trying to drink more, disobeying anything she'd ask of me."

"Being your usual self, then?"

"Yeah," Zayn chuckles. "But... I don't know, got a bit of a thing for her. Got too cocky with it and kissed her with no explanation the next morning. She slapped me, of course."

"Of course," Luke snorts. Zayn looks over at him, expression blank, and Luke turns his head to grin back. "Carry on, lover boy. I'm glad to be getting the exclusive on this one."

"Man, fuck off," Zayn groans, chuckling before taking a drag on the cigarette and blowing it up to the sky. "Kissed her again at school a few days later, she kissed me back. It was a bit of a secret thing, and didn't really go on that often. I don't know, thought she saw it as a friends-with-kissing-benefits time pass at the time, so I went along with it." He breathes smoke into the air, and Luke can hear the grin as he says, "Cause she's fit."

"A true Romeo and Juliet tale."

He gets another blank look, Zayn holding back his smile to give it.

"She learnt how to give someone a lapdance cause I asked for one as a joke-"

"She gave me one," Luke snorts, and then, before it's taken the wrong way, "For a joke, like. Brandon and Arzaylea were throwing one's and shit at us. Could tell she was actually pretty good at it though."

"Yeah," Zayn breathes, "Yeah I know." He takes another drag, "So long story short, we just never defined it, I guess, and now it's been so long I'm just too afraid to ask if we're like - anything more than what we were when we started it all."

"She's probably just as afraid, you know," Luke says, "You just need to grab these things by the balls, I'm afraid."

"By the... balls."

"Yes?"

Zayn looks over to him, eyes almost watering, "It's  _horns_ , you dickhead." He bursts into laughter, and Luke's face scrunches up.

"No, it is so not," He argues.

Zayn is holding his sides, nodding frantically and sitting up now, "Yes it is!" There's a pause, "Grab it by the balls, fucking 'ell Luke, no wonder you have no dating life."

"I have a dating life!" Zayn lies back now, his eyes rolling. Luke hands him a cigarette, and lights another one for himself, looking up at the sky again. The silence settles in, and it's nice for a while. He just smokes and stares at the shapes of the clouds and the white lines that run through the blue where planes have been.

The thing is, his friends know he has no real life outside of social and school. No girlfriends, no exes, no one night stands. He's just not the type for any of it. He's had a few kisses here and there, but never anything major until, well, yesterday.

It just took him a few more years than normal to grow out of the 'girls have cooties' stage and into the 'girls have boobs' stage. Even then, he never really had the energy to chase a girl up, ask her out, take her out, spend copious amounts of time with her. It just never appealed to him - sounded a lot like a waste of time and money, really. So he never went there. And he got older, and he never went there. And now he's seventeen, and sometimes, he feels a bit like he should've at least tried to go there. It's not his fault he's a lazy, uninterested teenage boy.

He even briefly dabbled with the term 'aromantic' for a while, but brushed it off with the fear of being out of the norm.

"There's this guy," he says quietly into the atmosphere. He almost feels like he's trying to justify everything to himself. Zayn turns to look at him, when he realises Luke is struggling. "And... and it's like I know I shouldn't even try to go there, you know?"

"Cause he's a guy?" Zayn almost looks personally offended.

"No, God no. Him being a guy doesn't bother me at all." Luke quickly shakes off, "I mean, it's a nice surprise, honestly. Feels kinda nice to experience just liking someone, for once."

Zayn grins. Luke covers his eyes, shakes his head and takes a drag on the cigarette.

"It's just... it wouldn't be like,  _okay_  - with certain people, if they knew I had a crush on him." Zayn just sits, listens and smokes. This is why Luke loves Zayn. "I dropped a few subtle hints for a while, and we almost got to a point where, I don't know..." He blushes, remembers waking up early to make Michael coffee that one time and getting a kiss on the forehead before he left for work, "Sometimes it just felt like we were dating, anyway, yeah?"

"You're blushing," Zayn grins, "Must proper fancy 'im."

Luke grins, closing his eyes, "Had a bit of an argument, yesterday. And he brought up - the people - who wouldn't be okay with it, and we got so mad. So heated."

"You made out because of it," Zayn guesses. Luke's eyes widen, mouth dropping as he turns to him. Zayn is grinning, shaking his head as he flicks the ash on the cigarette, "Classic love-anger move when you want someone you can't have." Luke raises an eyebrow, "It means he's pining after you, too, dumbass. Whatever is bothering you about it; it's bothering him too."

"So he... does want me? It wasn't just heat of the moment?"

"Luke," Zayn states, looking him right in the eye. "Nine times out of ten, I'm right. If he's bringing up the reasons you can't be together during an argument, and then kissing you during that same argument, it pretty much means he's only angry at himself because he wants you when he knows he shouldn't."

Luke grins, blushing further and bringing his hands up over his face.

"No chance you're going to name-drop this dude, is there?"

"Fuck no," Luke states, the words sounding final. "Don't bring it up today, though, please. Nobody really knows... but you, I guess."

"Yeah... same with me and Leia."

Luke nods at him.

"We've had a proper fucking moment out here, haven't we?" Zayn asks suddenly, sitting up. "I almost feel like we should do something hyper-masculine to even it out."

"Have another cig, and then a shot of whisky for breakfast?"

Zayn nods, so Luke opens up his pack and offers one out, nudging Zayn away playfully, before he gets one back. They end up half fighting, half smoking, and by the time they get into the house, a few more people seem to be up and about.

Louis and Harry are awake now, sat at opposite ends of the sofa, with Ashton between them. Arzaylea is on the arm-chair, and Leia and Michael are sat on the floor, leaning against a wall.

"Where the fuck 'av you just come from?" Louis asks, jumping out of his skin when the kitchen door opens. Zayn and Luke smile simultaneously. All attention seems to be drawn to them now. "Have you just been silently sat in the kitchen for an hour?"

"No," Zayn replies easily. "Went for a smoke."

"For an hour?" Leia asks. Luke see's Zayn give her a cheeky smile and a wink that makes her blush.

"Yes, sweetheart. For an hour."

"Tell me you didn't let Luke chain-smoke for an hour," Arzaylea asks, "Z, come on." She looks disappointed.

"I didn't chain-smoke," Luke inputs, dropping onto her lap so she lets out an 'oof'.

"Tell that to your clothes, cigarette boy."

Luke gives her a dry look. She looks uncomfortable underneath him. "That is an awful superhero name." She shakes her head, but Luke can tell she's holding back a smile.

Luke finally lets himself look over to Michael, who's staring back at him. Luke bites his lip before he realises what he's doing, and Michael looks down at his lap, and then back up at him, a 'deer caught in headlights' expression over his features. Luke blames the shot of whisky he just took, but with all the confidence in the world, he winks, and then pulls two fingers across his mouth in a zipper motion.

Michael smirks and looks up at the ceiling, Luke doing nothing further in order to get involved in the conversation happening.

*

The hardest part of going to the beach turned out to be actually fucking going there. There's five cars between seventeen of them, and everybody has difference preferences on who they want to go with. Luke finds it an absolute nightmare.

Ashton ends up telling everyone who to go with eventually, and luckily Luke gets Arzaylea, and it's just them two alone. Arzaylea low fives him subtly as they all walk out of the house, Ashton locking the door behind them all. Ashton and Madison (Ashton's new interest) go in Michael's car. Liam, Charla and Emily in Louis' car. Leia, Zayn and Harry in Joanna's car. Brandon, Niall and Callum in Laura's (AKA, Brandon's love interest of the day). It's a nightmare to sort out, but eventually they get it done.

Arzaylea and Luke set off first, in hopes of going through the McDonalds drive-thru to get breakfast without the others noticing and making it into another time-consuming thing they all do. They lose the other four cars easily within the first five minutes.

"Can I drive?" Luke asks, when they're on deserted roads that lead up to the beach. Arzaylea shoots him a look that he can decipher even under the sunglasses she's wearing, "Arz, darling... come on now, it's only ten minutes."

She groans, indicating before checking her mirrors and pulling into the side of the road. Luke grins, and jumps over into the backseats while Arzaylea climbs over the gear stick. He throws himself into the drivers seat, grinning and holding his arms into the air, feeling the seafront breeze blowing on them already. Arzaylea leans over him and pulls the seatbelt over his body.

"Remember what I taught you, and be safe."

Luke nods, knowing how serious Arzaylea takes safety, especially since she has a soft-top car. Despite this, he grins, and turns the volume up high, Tom Zanetti blasting through the speakers. Arzaylea laughs and leans back into her seat. Luke lowers his sunglasses, indicates towards the road, and after checking the mirrors, pulls out.

Luke knows everyone else has got there before them when they get to the car park, due to the *short* detour he may have taken in order to drive around the empty roads a bit more. Arzaylea didn't mind, since they were both screaming the lyrics, her dancing in her seat to the music, sitting on her knees in the seat so the wind blows through her hair; having the time of their lives. Luke, despite not having his license yet, has known how to drive since James taught both he and Ashton a year ago. Arzaylea let him practise sometimes, when the roads were safe enough for him to do so, and Luke isn't half bad. Soon enough, Luke see's the entrance to the car park. The music had turned old school quickly, and  _Bonkers_  by Dizzee Rascal rattled the car they had it so loud; the bass turned up higher than the music itself. The other four cars were near each other, the car park relatively empty for a nice Friday morning. Luke see's everyone sitting on the cars; leaning against them and waiting for him and Arz.

To be a bit of a show off, he speeds up. Arzaylea puts her hands in the air, and he revs across the car park to them all as she sings her heart out. When he gets slightly past them, he breaks, spinning the wheel with one hand and putting an arm out across Arzaylea's chair. He reverses into the space perfectly, and kills the engine.

"Luke is allowed to drive your car but I'm not?!" Is the first thing Luke hears. He laughs, jumping over the door and throwing the keys to Arz. She locks it and presses the button for the roof before walking around the car to meet Luke. "How the fuck does that work?"

"I'm obviously a much better driver than you," Luke says, sticking his middle finger up. "Are we ready?" Everyone seems to nod.

"Nah, no fucking way. I wanna come with you on the way home, I wanna drive."

"You're not driving my car!" Arzaylea argues. Everyone is walking together, watching them argue in amusement.

" _Luke_  drove it!"

"Luke can drive," she deadpans.

A few people let out a collective, 'ooh'.

"And Luke's my boy," Arzaylea adds. Luke puts his arms round her shoulders, flipping off Brandon again as they walk backwards; facing him and everyone else. Brandon scoffs, and flips them back off. Luke spins, turning Arzaylea with him. "He's actually not a terrible driver."

Luke snorts, "He's better than you and me combined."

"Are you talking shit about my driving?!" Brandon yells. Luke breaks apart from Arz, grinning at her as he shakes his head. Brandon makes sounds of disapproval.

"Oh fuck," Luke realises, "Forgot the towels." Arzaylea rolls her eyes but wordlessly hands him the keys, latching onto Leia, Joanna and Laura and continuing to tease Brandon. Luke waves the keys at Ashton and fist bumps him as he goes past.

"I'll go with him," he hears Michael say. He doesn't see Ashton's reaction, but rolls his eyes, because he imagines it's a confused one. A body appears next to his own, a considerable amount of space between them. "Think Calum's about to burn holes into me."

"Cause you're being obvious," Luke replies quietly. He looks back, ever so briefly, and see's Calum and Louis looking at them, whispering to each other. "Shit, Mike. What if they tell Ash?"

"Tell him what?" Michael asks, snorting, "Michael thinks your brother is hot? Everyone thinks that, Luke." The blonde shakes his head, turning away as Michael grins at him. "I wanted to talk about that anyway," he says, as they approach the car park. Luke looks at him, stopping briefly. "It was bad, right?"

"The kiss?" Luke asks, eyebrows furrowing.

"No, Luke, Ariana Grande's new fucking album." Luke gives him a look. "Yes, the kiss." He sighs.

"Well that hurts my ego a little, but, um, alright," Luke shrugs, attempting to smile. He unlocks the car, and opens the back door, pausing and looking back at Michael; squinting in the sun. "I mean, I haven't kissed that many people. So, like. I'm sorry it wasn't - mind-blowing, I guess?" He frowns down at himself.

"Fucking hell, you're adorable," Michael sighs, "The kiss was great, magical - one might say. I meant the connotations are bad. As in it was amazing but we probably shouldn't do that again."

Luke grins, and the car door is still open.

"Magical, huh?"

Michael rolls his eyes and leans against the car, putting his head in his hands. "Ashton's my best friend."

"I'm aware," Luke replies, leaning in to get the towels before closing the door again. He locks the car, and leans next to Michael, facing him. "You've been friends since third grade, when he gave you a twinkie and you said he  _looked_ like a twinkie."

"He was a tan child who's shape slightly resembled - it doesn't even matter, oh my god," Michael groans, turning so his back is to the beach, and his face is close enough that Luke can see the fine hairs on his cheeks. "I think you're cute, okay?" He whispers, "I think you're adorable, and make good coffee and have a great - if not slightly annoying - taste in music." Luke smiles, but he knows the 'but' is coming. "And you're so fucking  _hot_ , Jesus, when did you get this hot?"

"You didn't think I was hot before?" He teases, pouting.

"Luke," he groans, "You're killing me, here."

Luke nudges him, and Michael frowns back at him, "I get it, I'm Ashton's brother; you're Ashton's best friend. It's not happening; I'm aware of that, Mikey. Been aware of it since you left that first thank you note in my room."

Michael nods, head dropping to land on Luke's shoulder.

Luke pats his back semi-awkwardly, but eventually hugs him properly, sighing into it so that Michael looks up at him and pouts, sticking out his bottom lip. Luke's eyes zero in on it.

"We could just have, like,  _one_  for the road?" Luke asks quietly.

"That sounds like a terrible, terrible idea," Michael replies, and then he tilts his head up, just slightly, like he's inviting Luke to kiss him anyway. "Like, literally awful. Shouldn't do it." Luke smiles slightly. "Definitely not right now, do not kiss me-" Luke gets the hint and kisses him. It starts off sweet, in his own defence. He kisses Michael soft and savoury, just lip, and then Michael bites his bottom lip and he's pulling the red-head closer, closer, until it's full of heat and Michael is leading them behind the car to hide away from the rest of the car-park and people walking along the top of the beach; not once breaking them apart.

"Just one," Luke says guiltily into his mouth. Michael seems to kiss him harder. Luke grips the towels as if his hand is a vice, pressing them to Michael's back and pulling him closer. Michael hooks a leg around his, and Luke can feel it then; half hard against his hip, burning heat into him. A flash image of Michael actually fucking him goes through his mind, and he whimpers at the thought, breath caught in his throat.

Michael rips away from him. Luke looks down instinctively, seeing the outline of his length pressed against his shorts. He closes his eyes, takes a mental snap-shot of the image, and leans his head against the car.

Michael's whispered, "Fuck," makes him open his eyes again. "Fuck.  _Fuck_."

"Right?" Luke breathes, not sure on what he's really saying, but needing to say something anyway. He glances down again, just briefly, and then meets eyes with Michael.

"You're making this difficult," Michael says, "Stop looking at my dick." And then, as an afterthought, "I'll get self-conscious."

"There's  _absolutely_  no need," Luke says before he's thought it through, looking down at the outline against his shorts as he says it; mouth almost watering.

Michael shivers, despite the heat. "Jesus Christ, Luke." He takes a deep breathe, moving his shorts around as Luke  _stares_. "They're going to wonder where we are. It'll be suspicious."

Luke's eyes snap back to his face, guilt flashing through his eyes before he nods solemnly. Michael shuffles his clothes again, giving Luke a look like he's about to devour him before it's quickly gone again - taking Luke's breath with it. They walk across the car park in silence, Luke clutching the towels in front of him.

"I'm sorry it's not different," Michael whispers, almost inaudible, once they're on the sand and the group is in his line of sight.

"I'm sorry too," Luke says, and then Michael is stepping away from him, smiling like nothing has happened as he walks over to Calum. Luke takes a deep breath and see's his friends in the sea; Arzaylea lying on the sand in her bikini alone. Luke walks over to her, and lays out a towel. She rolls onto it wordlessly, turning onto her front. Luke pulls off his shirt and lays his own towel down, lying on his front too.

He turns his face towards her, and within seconds, she's looking back at him.

They don't say anything, and eventually, Luke closes his eyes.

"You okay?" Arzaylea asks quietly; like she can tell something is on his mind.

"I'm chill," Luke sighs, turning over. "And I'm almost definitely going to burn today."

"Hell yeah, you are, white boy." Arzaylea snorts.

Luke shakes his head, closing his eyes so the sun doesn't glare into them. He thinks about Michael, and what could've actually happened if he'd offered him a twinkie in that school yard eight years ago instead of Ashton. He ends up falling asleep.

*

He wakes up to screaming. There's an umbrella shading his face, and he's alone now. Everyone seems to be playing a game of beach football, chasing each other around and yelling. The sun is higher, and Luke feels sticky and hot, but at least someone had the decency to cover him. There's a loud laugh, and Luke looks over to Joanna (a friend of Leia's from Biology class), seeing her curvy frame draped over Michael's shoulders, laughing at something he's saying to Calum; who's grinning back at him.

A lump forms in Luke's throat, and he squints his eyes, properly sitting up.

He hasn't taken much notice of Joanna before; never spoke other than the occasional 'hello' when she was on their table at lunch. But he knows she's pretty; get's quite a bit of male attention for her well-proportioned features and dark, smooth skin. Luke can see how white her teeth are from here. And suddenly he wants to go over there and pull her hair so fucking hard she starts wailing.

He looks to the group again, biting his tongue because she's still draped over his back like he's her fucking  _boyfriend_  or something, and he's smiling along with it, talking to Calum like this is all just fine and not completely fucked up. He feels his pocket, and gets up, telling nobody he's left because they don't notice anyway. He walks all the way to the other side of the beach, where the rocks are lined up against the shore, and climbs up them to sit on a rock over the water.

He can see the group far in the distance, still running around chasing each other and the bright colourful beach ball.

He pulls a cigarette out of his pocket, and lights up, breathing in fresh air with the toxic smoke, and lying back, listening to the waves.

"Can I have one?" A voice asks. His eyes flash open, seeing a skinny blonde in shorts and a tank top sitting on a rock a few up from his. He pulls the pack out of his pocket, and hands her the lighter and a cigarette.

"They're menthol."

"It's all the same shit to me," she laughs, "Thank you...?"

"Luke," he supplies. She nods. "And you are, cigarette thief?"

She cackles, "Bryana." She lights, and then shuffles down the rocks to sit next to him, handing the lighter back. "So what's got you out here all alone? Could get murdered, you know."

"In the broad daylight?" Luke snorts, "In viewing range of the sixteen people I came here with?" She glances around him, see's the group running around, laughing but inaudible from here. "Highly improbable."

She shakes her head, looking over the rock to the waves and flicking her ash into the water.

"So why aren't you with your friends?"

"Now that's an invasive question," Luke smirks, shaking his head. She raises an eyebrow, and sucks on the cigarette, holding it like a fancy wine glass. Luke gets a good feeling about her, about how care-free she seems to be, so he answers, "There's this guy - completely cliche, really - my brother's best friend, who's completely off limits?"

"Oh, I know the type," she nods. "I had sex with my best friends step-brother at a party once," she pauses, looks at him, "We're no longer friends."

"That's reassuring, thank you," Luke smiles, shaking his head. Bryana snorts. "Anyway, there's this girl, flirting, and - yeah. Don't really wanna be around that right now."

"This may be weird, okay, but do you wanna hang out right now? I mean, we're basically friends now, right?"

Luke smiles at her, in disbelief as he finds himself nodding, "Yeah, fuck it. If I get murdered, I get murdered." She snorts, and Luke thinks she's not all that bad at all - probably not a murderer. "You can tell me more about this best friends step-brother shit that went down."

"And you can tell me more about your brothers best friend," she grins. "There are arcades up the street?"

Luke nods, throws the butt of the cigarette and stands up, gesturing for her to lead the way. He throws Ashton a quick,  _'Gone for a walk, safe x'_ text as they walk, and finds himself not giving a fuck about anything else other than winning shitty prizes on the 2p machines and talking major shit about people to a stranger he met not even an hour ago - her doing exactly the same.

Only three hours later, he gets a phone call, picking it up on the third ring, "Yes?"

"A three hour walk?" Ashton asks down the phone, "Are you dead?"

"No," Luke swallows the mouthful of ice cream in his mouth, "I enjoy the fresh air."

He hears the sigh down the phone, and can hear the waves in the background, everyone still laughing and having fun. "We're pretty far out from home, Lu, just make sure you're safe, okay? We're gonna watch the sunset when it comes down and then go back, okay? Make sure you're here before it gets dark."

"I will be," Luke supplies.

"Oh my God, Luke, you have to taste this!"

"Is that a girl?" Luke can hear the smirk in Ashton's voice. "Did you meet a girl?"

"No," Luke says quickly.

"You're with a girl!" Ashton shrieks.

"Luke's with a girl?!" He hears another voice shout back over the phone. "Who?!"

"I'm hanging up now," Luke says, hears Ashton begin shouting down the phone again, and does exactly that. He looks over blankly to Bryana, who's smirking, shoving the spoon around her empty ice cream bowl. He gives her a blank look.

"What?" She asks quietly, still smirking into the empty bowl. "Now Michael is jealous too." She looks up at him, grinning. Luke shakes his head, laughing and standing up. She gets up too, and throws their rubbish in the bin, leading him out of the shop and into the next arcade.

*

She and Luke walk back to the beach together (mostly because Luke would be lost without her navigation), and by the time he gets there, the sun is setting, and he can see the blurry figures sat in the sand watching it, all huddled close together.

They both walk over to a place quite a bit away from them on the edge of the beach, and Luke silently hands her a cigarette, leaning back into the wall as he lights his own before passing her the lighter.

"So which one is he?"

"The red-head," Luke sighs, looking over to a shirtless Michael sat up on the sand, leaning on Calum's shoulder as they all watch the sun blend into the sea. "He has a hot back, right?"

Bryana laughs, "Sure, love." There's a pause in which they both smoke, "You should just fucking go for it, both of you," she says suddenly. "Just do it. Tonight, even."

"He told me it's not going to happen, to my face."

"Yes, and then you made out against your friends car," she snorts, "One last kiss, my fucking ass, Hemmings. If you like each other, I don't see why not."

"Because I respect my brother?"

She gives a dismissive wave, "Eh."

Luke smokes, looks at how pretty the sunset actually is as he leans against the wall. He finds himself looking at Michael's back more, somehow. At least Joanna is sat far away from him now, with Emily, Charla and Arzaylea around her.

"It's been cooling meeting you, Lucas."

"It's Luke," Luke repeats for the sixth time that day. "And you too. I'll text you next time I'm here, okay? We only live like an hour and a half away in the car."

"The fuck do you mean, next time you're here? You're going to need to keep me updated on this Michael story. I will hunt you down if you don't." Luke snorts, shaking his head.

"Nothing's going to happen."

"That's what I said, and then I lost my best friend and got used for the shittiest sex of my life."

"So,  _so_  reassuring." Luke emphasises, turning to her, "Have you considered being a motivational speaker?"

She grins back at him, "Actually, I have."

"Seriously?"

"No, you-" She breaks off, shaking her head and turning back to the sunset, "And I think  _that_  is my cue to go." Luke turns from her, see's everyone looking back at them. The boys - all except Michael and Harry - are smirking.

"I fucking hate my life," he groans, standing up with her and flipping Ashton off. "I'll text you updates, okay? You're cool as fuck."

"You better," she glances around him, nods her head distinctly, looking a little awkward. "Right," she says in a high voice, going red, "Your friends are intimidating. See ya, Luke." She turns and runs off, and Luke turns back to Ashton with a look, cocking his hip. Ashton just grins, and gestures to the blanket space next to him.

Luke keeps the blank look on his face as he walks over, and sits down between him and Calum.

It's silent for a few minutes. And then Arzaylea, Brandon and Leia crawl across the sand, and sit in front of him, grinning. And then Louis and Harry, along with Zayn and Leia shuffle across, and soon enough, he's surrounded.

"Oh, fuck all of you," Luke says, "Let me watch the sunset in peace."

"What's her name though?" Brandon asks, "She's hot, wanna give her my number?"

"Let Luke have this one," Ashton swats at him.

"What?" Brandon, "Luke already likes someone else."

Luke's eyes widen, looking at Brandon and leaning forward with his mouth ajar. Arzaylea and Leia seem to be giving him a similar look.

Ashton is smirking at him again.

"And by someone else, I mean, nobody else," He nods, voice slightly higher, "She's all yours."

"I'm actually just going to go and jump in the fucking ocean now, thanks," He stands up, pulling the pack of cigarettes out of his pockets and putting one in his mouth. Zayn stands up, grabbing the pack out of his hand and getting one for himself.

As they walk away, Ashton shouts, "He gets to know but I don't?! I'm your brother!"

Luke just shakes his head.

Zayn doesn't push anything, just smokes in silence with him, and when they're finished everyone is going back to the cars, so Luke jumps in the passenger seat of Arzaylea's, and makes her drive before anyone else and can get in and force him into talking.

"So who's the girl?" She asks, on the drive home.

"My new therapist, apparently, since I told her every detail about the guy I like in  _explicit_  detail. She's lovely though, I know she looks kind of blonde-dumb bimbo-y, but she's kinda quirky and funny. I think Ashton would like her, weirdly enough."

"Why is she allowed explicit detail but  _all_  I know is that it's a guy?"

"Because it's easier to tell a stranger, Arz."

She shakes him off and they sing along to music the rest of the way back to Luke's.

*

 **Luke** : We've deadass not spoken since the beach day

 **BryBry** : Two weeks ago??????

 **BryBry** : I thought u were gonna hit that???

 **Luke** : I told you it wasn't going to happen

 **Luke** : I am literally forever alone, I'm never liking anybody ever again

 **Luke** : Fuck everyone

 **BryBry** : well is he dating somebody else?

 **Luke** : no

 **BryBry** : then there's hope, you self-depreciating mess

 **BryBry** : next time he comes over put on ur best jeans (or even better yet, no pants at all) and strut that stuff like ur fuckin gagging for it

 **Luke** : You're kidding

 **Luke** : I am so not doing that

 **Luke** : that only works for girls

 **BryBry** : you're a girl, you pussy ;) just do it

 **Luke** : I'm offended and it's still not happening. I gotta think about Ash here, that's his best friend. I don't even wanna put Mike in that position

 **BryBry** : but that dick tho?

 **Luke** : it's just not like that

*

That same day, Ashton throws a party once their parents have left, and Luke comes home to find Michael asleep in his bed. He closes the door softly once he's realised, slipping out of his jeans and then his t-shirt, taking off his socks and throwing them all on the floor that his Mom had obviously hoovered and tidied that morning.

He pulls back his side of the cover carefully, lying down to face the ceiling.

"Where've you been?" He hears Michael rasp, facing away before he turns over. Luke startles and looks at him.

"Brandon's mom made pot roast-"

"The past two weeks, moron. What've you been doing?"

"What I always do," Luke smiles softly. "Why'd you ask?"

"I don't know," he mumbles, "Just feeling weird."

Luke shuffles into the covers, facing him properly, "What kind of weird?"

Michael's shrug is half-assed under the cover, but still there. "Sad."

Luke's frown is instant, "Did somebody upset you?"

"No, Luke. I'm just sad. Can I not be sad?"

"Of course you can be sad," Luke says softly, trying to calm the aggravation slipping into Michael's tone. "I'd just prefer if you weren't, really."

"Hmm," he nods, closing his eyes, "You still speak to that girl from the beach?"

"Yeah," he whispers, "We're actually pretty good friends now."

"Just friends?"

"Yeah," Luke can't say it quickly enough, "Yeah, of course."

"Can you read me a book or something?" Luke blinks in surprise at the question, nodding before looking around, picking up his new read of the month from the bedside table, Atonement, and folding over the first page.

As soon as he begins reading, Michael shuffles closer to him, tucking into Luke's side and closing his eyes again. He reads four chapters before deciding Michael's asleep, but even when he turns the light out and puts the book down to get properly into bed, Michael's arms still snake back around him to pull him closer.

"Louis and Harry are dating," The red-head whispers after a few minutes.

Luke tucks his head into the crevice of Michael's neck.

"A patient I was helping look after died today," and there it is. The real cause of the sadness.

Luke sits up slowly, leaning over to pull the chord of the lamp so a soft glow emits next to them and he can see that Michael has been silently crying. He presses his thumbs to Michael's cheeks and wipes the tears away.

"She - she just died, Luke." He mumbles. Luke shuffles back down to put his arm over Michael's body, leaning up to look at him. They catch eyes, "She was eight."

Luke's mouth forms into a small circle.

"And I know - I'm liked, trained to see this sort of thing, and you're not supposed to form personal relationships with your patients but she was  _eight_   _years_   _old_  Luke. She was in third grade," a tear rolls down his cheek. "She liked watching Ru-Paul with her big sister."

"It's okay," Luke almost wants to cry too. "Nobody is trained to handle that sort of thing, Michael. Nobody. What else did she like?"

Michael doesn't even hear him, "It was pneumonia."

"I didn't ask that," Luke turns his head so Michael is looking into his eyes. "I asked what she liked."

"Drawing bad pictures of me," there's a hint of a laugh in the sentence, "and sticking them all over the hospital walls even though the Doctors kept telling her she wasn't allowed."

"That's adorable," Luke whispers. "What else?"

"Ravioli."

"On it's own?"

"With sweetcorn mixed in." Luke nods, wiping more of Michael's tears away, "She liked when you wore your hair down and not in a quiff. I showed her pictures."

"Good, because I'm getting too lazy to style it anyway."

"She said you'd look good in drag make-up," he smiles, shaking his head. Luke wipes the tears again, leaning up to kiss him on the nose softly. When he pulls away, Michael stares at him, glassy eyed. Luke wipes the tears again, leaning down and laying a ghost of a kiss on his lips.

"I'd look great in drag make-up," he agrees, lying against Michael's body.

Michael lets out a laugh through the tears, "Yeah, you would." Still smiling slightly, he pulls his sleeve across his face, getting rid of the remaining wetness before putting a hand in Luke's hair. "She liked her toast dry."

"That's weird," Luke whispers.

"That's what I said."

Luke looks up at him, blinking gently. He softly runs two fingers down Michael's cheeks, before wiping more tears with his thumb. "Remember what she liked, okay? Remember everything she liked."

Holding back tears, he says, "You're an angel, you know that?" There's a pause, "She believed in Heaven."

"Then that's exactly where she is," Luke says without hesitation.

Michael just nods, and slips further down the bed, squeezing Luke's body. Luke figures he's done talking now, so he leans over, turns off the light, and squeezes him right back.

*

He wakes up in the exact same position, with Michael's alarm going off and the boy groaning and moving underneath him.

"I'll make you a coffee," Luke says, stretching.

"You're amazing," Michael rasps. Luke detaches himself, carefully tucking Michael back in and pressing snooze on the alarm, going over to his discarded jeans and getting the cigarettes out of the pocket. He pulls on some sweatpants, and silently exits the room, going down and switching the kettle on before sitting at the back door to smoke.

By the time Michael enters the kitchen, his coffee is on the table, Luke sitting in his own chair drinking a green tea.

Michael sits down silently, blowing on the drink before taking a sip.

"I had a dream last night," Luke mumbles, head against the table, "I was in a river, and I was being chased by like - a herd of bees."

"A swarm."

"What?"

"A swarm of bees," Michael smirks into the cup.

Luke gives him a blank look before smiling, shaking his head, "And I was swimming away, right, like, proper screaming. But I didn't even think to go under the water. I just kept trying to run through this river like an idiot. It was up to my shoulders."

"Tall river," Michael comments. "I don't know why you're telling me this?"

"Do you not care about me at all?" Luke asks, grinning, "I had a nightmare."

"You said it was a dream."

"Yes," Luke states. "It's always been my dream to be chased by thousands of bees in a river." Michael stands up and puts the cup in the sink, leaning down to kiss the side of Luke's face gently. "Thank you."

"At least they never stung you," Michael whispers, "Maybe it just means that bees like you." Luke nods against the table. "I have to go to work. Thank you for last night." Luke blinks his eyes open, sitting up properly. "It's - it's really hard to not adore you, Luke."

"It's really hard to not adore you too," Luke replies. Michael kisses his forehead, and Luke leans into it, feeling Michael's hand ghost over his on top of the chair. "Have a good day at work."

Michael nods against him, before pulling away abruptly, and walking out of the kitchen.

Luke pours the rest of his green tea down the sink and goes back to bed.

*

He wakes up to his phone blaring hours later, and pouts, throwing the blankets around as he de-tangles himself to reach over and pull it from the charger.

"Luke, I have-"

Luke groans at how loud she is.

"Are you still in bed?" Arzaylea asks, "It's three in the afternoon."

"So?"

"Anyway, I have the tickets for that film you wanna see in the cinema, so I'm picking up Brandon and Leia now and I'll be at yours in twenty, alright?"

"Wait, I need-" she hangs up, and he sighs, "A shower." 

He sits up, pouting and with his greasy hair in every direction, and curses whoever's up there before stomping out of bed and to the bathroom to have the quickest shower of his life. It's not quick, he spends most of his shower time singing and dancing around, attempting not to slip to his own death. Imagine being found naked, God, the embarrassment.

He dresses nice when he's done, puts on his leather-looking type skinny jeans that stick to every inch of him, and a white t-shirt. His chelsea boots are in the kitchen, so he grabs his cigarettes and phone, stuffing them into the pocket of his denim jacket. He's still wet, so the shirt semi-sticks to him and his hair is a wet, curly mess but he hears Arzaylea and sighs, looking in the mirror before frowning at himself and throwing open his bedroom door.

"We're going to be late, Luke!"

"I'm ready!" Luke yells back, texting Bryana back as he walks down the stairs, and eyes still glued to his phone as he walks in the living room. He looks up only briefly to get around the table, and walks into the kitchen.

"Damn, Lu," he hears Leia mutter as he walks in.

His phone rings before he can question it, "Hell-"

"What the fuck do you mean  _just go?"_  Bryana demands. "I fucked her step-brother and she's invited me to brunch!"

"Maybe she misses your friendship," Luke theories, pulling on his boots and holding the phone with his ear. He rolls his eyes and wipes the water from his hair off the screen.

"Or maybe she just wants to stab me with a fork?!"

Luke walks back into the living room, "I don't think she'll stab you with a fork - are you listening to yourself?" Arzaylea glares at him, "I'm ready, I am! Look!"

"You look like a full course fucking meal," Leia mutters, looking him up and down. Ashton, Calum and Michael are sat on the sofa, a movie paused on the screen, and Ashton smirks at the comment.

"I fucked her step-brother!" Bryana yells. Luke pulls the phone away from his ear briefly, eyes widening.

"Hey, yell at her. I'm not the one who's stabbing you with cutlery."

"Luke, we have to go," Arzaylea moans. "We're literally lucky if we only miss the adverts."

"Oh God, I'm just gonna do it, I'll just go," Bryana moans. "I'm texting you my address constantly."

"Okay, good," Luke grins at Arz, "I have to go now, Bry, text me, okay?"

"Asshole, no help at all," Bryana mutters, making a kissing sound before hanging up the phone. Luke pulls the phone away from his ear, waving it at Arz who snatches it from him and puts it in her bag, beginning to push him to the front door.

"Do you have any idea how good your ass looks in those jeans? Pants? Are they leather?" Leia asks, stood behind him.

"Oh my God," Arzaylea moans as Luke laughs, still pushing him. "Bye Ash, Mike, Cal! I'm taking Luke now!"

She pushes him all the way to the car, and even straps him in.

In the car, he gets the phone out of Arz's bag, and gets a text.

 **UNKNOWN** : your ass really did look fucking good in those jeans

Luke blinks, looking to the back seat, seeing Leia and Brandon talking animatedly about something, hand gestures all over the place but phones nowhere to be seen. He smiles at the text.

 **Luke** : It doesn't look good in any other jeans, Michael?

 **Luke** : All you ever do is offend me

Luke gets a string of messages, his phone buzzing as if someone's calling him.

 **UNKNOWN** : Yeah well I'm offended by how fucking good you looked today so fuck you

 **UNKNOWN** : Was that your natural hair? All curly?

 **UNKNOWN** : That's so hot

 **UNKNOWN** : And your chest was still all wet, I'm shaking, I literally can't right now

Luke blinks, looking down at himself and then reading over the texts again.

 **Luke** : You having some sort of seizure back there, Mikey?

 **Luke** : I literally just woke up and had a shower and had no time to do anything

Luke saves his number easily, looking up as they pull up to the cinema complex and Arzaylea parks. They're on time; Arz can suck it.

 **MGC** : 99% sure I genuinely am you know

 **MGC** : Because all I can think of right now is the shit I'd do to you out of those jeans if Ashton wasn't sat fucking next to me when I saw you in them

Luke chokes in the line for popcorn.

Arzaylea, Brandon and Leia look back at him, but Luke just smiles at them, waving slightly. His face drops when they turn back around, and his fingers hover over the keys on his screen, shaking. It's been three minutes since Luke read the text, but it feels like three hours.

 **Luke** : Like what?

 **Luke** : God you should not answer that

 **Luke** : I'm at the cinema, fuck

 **MGC** : You make me lose my mind

 **MGC** : Everything

 **MGC** : I wanna do everything to you.

"Excuse me?" Luke looks up from the text, "You're going to have to turn your phone off now, if that's alright?"

"No," Luke says instinctively, holding the device protectively to his own chest. The girl's eyes widen, and Brandon hits his arm, taking the phone from his clutches and holding down the power button. Luke watches the light from the screen die as Brandon drags him into the corridor to get to the screen room. "I had a text."

Brandon gives him a look, shaking his head. Luke swallows the liquid in his mouth and lets Brandon keep hold of the phone while he tries to keep his cool.

He couldn't tell you a fucking thing about the plot of the film they watch, but the other three seemed to enjoy it.

Luke gets his phone back on the car ride home, and first receives a text thread from Ashton.

 **Ash** : You got your keys?

 **Ash** : Get Arzaylea drive past Lou's if ya don't, we're having a BBQ out front.

Luke sighs, "Drive past Lou's please," Arzaylea just nods, and then turns the car around before turning up the music, Stormzy rapping louder, Brandon, Leia and Arz all attempting to sing along.

Then Michael's texts come through.

 **MGC** : And now I have to sit here next to Ash and act like I don't wanna fuck his brother into next week

 **MGC** : And I just wanna take you out to dinner

 **MGC** : But it's shit, because your last name is Hemmings and that makes you off limits, and basically just get a new family, please

 **MGC** : I'm an awful human being, God, please forget I said any of that because, honestly, if I was Ashton, I'd fucking murder me.

Luke bites his lip.

 **Luke** : if you're going to be sorry about anything right now, Clifford, be sorry that I was so focused on your texts that I don't even know what the movie was about, and be sorry that you made me spend most of the film half hard and uncomfortable as fuck.

He puts his phone in the door pocket, attempting to sing the lyrics to  _Big For You Boots_ with them as Leia snapchats the embarrassing experience.

When they get to Louis',  _God's Plan_  by Drake is playing through the speakers, and there are more people on the front yard than expected. Louis, Calum, Ashton, Niall and Liam are there; as well as Harry and Zayn.

Luke gets out of the car, tucking a wavy piece of hair behind his ear and walking sheepishly over to Ashton. Michael's eyes follow him as he walks. Ashton holds out the keys, and Luke thanks him quietly, getting a weird look in return. He spins around, and walks a normal pace to the car. Just before he gets in, he turns around, and see's Michael's eyes burning into him; quickly flashing up to his eyes.

He bites his bottom lip and gets in the car.

*

Luke gets home to an empty house, and walks into the living room, dropping onto the sofa with a sigh and a small smile. He pulls a faux leather jacket out from underneath him, and realises almost instantly that Michael left it here - since it's the one he always wears with a cotton hood that's far too big for him. He doesn't think about it much as he puts it on, letting the smell of Michael's aftershave envelope him as he pulls up the hood and shakes the sleeves over his hands. He feels kind of cool in it. 

He wears it all afternoon - even has to take his shirt off underneath it because of how hot he gets - and refuses to smoke a single cigarette in it because he knows Michael isn't a smoker. When he see's Michael's car pulling up outside, Louis' alongside it, he takes off the jacket and puts it back on the sofa, feeling only a tad guilty as he does. He grabs his shirt and goes upstairs, letting Ashton and his friends have the place to themselves for a bit. 

He ends up falling asleep at his desk studying for a test they have on Monday. He wakes up Sunday morning with a sore back and a crick in his neck, groaning at the stain his drool left on his revision notes. 

He goes downstairs just as Michael is entering the house, and smiles awkwardly, playing with the bottom of his shirt and feeling a little self conscious that he hasn't looked in the mirror today yet. 

"Hi," Michael smiles, closing the front door. He's wearing the leather jacket. 

"You didn't stay here last night," Luke whispers. 

"My mom has the flu, so I've been helping out with taking care of my sister." Michael explains. Luke nods and opens the living room door, letting Michael walk in first. He gets a kiss on the cheek as Michael passes, and then they're strangers. 

Michael walks into the kitchen, and Luke hears all the boys greeting him. He follows, going straight to the cupboard to get a glass out as they all talk about something happening Wednesday. 

"Luke!" Ashton suddenly yells. Luke startles, turning around with wide eyes and giving Ashton a look. "What're you doing Wednesday?" 

"Nothing, fuck. I've just woken up, can you chill?" 

"Fancy babysitting?" 

"No, he doesn't," Michael says, "Look, I can't go; that's that. Find someone else to drive you there." 

"We don't just want you to drive us, I want you to be there," Calum protests. "Luke, will you watch Michael's sister on Wednesday?" 

"Ignore them," Michael says to him, looking mildly irritated. "She doesn't like people - strangers, okay? She doesn't even like Ashton. I'm not bringing her to a game with hundreds of people, and I'm not leaving her with a stranger," he quickly looks to Luke, "That she doesn't know." 

If Luke didn't know any better, he'd think Michael had put emphasis on the word 'she'. 

"It's one night," Ashton groans. 

"I don't mind," Luke says, "I like kids. She's - what - five now?" 

"See! Luke doesn't even mind. He  _loves_  kids! He's still a kid himself, they'll get along great." 

"I'm a year younger than you," Luke tells Ashton, squinting. "Asshole." He mutters to himself as he pours orange juice from the fridge and into the glass. He puts it back and turns to see all the boys giving Michael pleading looks; the red head looking perplexed before he turns to Luke. "It's only for a few hours, right?" Luke asks, "I won't mind if you really wanna go." 

"Are you sure?" Michael asks. He sounds hesitant but the boys cheer like he's jumped on the idea anyway, and just like that, Luke's Wednesday night is occupied. 

*

On Wednesday, Michael is more than dubious when he drops her off. 

Ashton, Niall and Liam are on the sofa when he gets there and walks in, and Luke is on the single-seat sofa, munching on some chips. She's small and hiding behind his legs when he walks in, Michael holding a backpack in front of himself. 

"I don't know about this," He says immediately. 

Ashton groans loudly and Michael rolls his eyes. 

"Go wait in the car," Michael demands, throwing Ashton the keys. He grins and stands up, the other two boys following as he walks out of the house. "Meanies," Michael mutters. Luke grins. "Jocelyn, this is Luke, he's going to look after you while I watch Calum play football, okay?" 

"Your shoes are cool," Luke tells her, nodding at the flowers stuck on top of her trainers. She grins with crooked teeth, and hugs Michael's leg, half behind it. Luke stands up, taking the backpack from Michael's hands and putting it on the couch. Michael just pouts at him. "Ashton can be an-" he cuts himself off, but Michael nods, "But it's fine. Just text me constantly, I charged my phone up just for you." 

Michael shakes his head, and hugs him. 

"Hey!" Jocelyn yells, pulling Michael's leg back. Luke laughs and steps back. 

Michael leans down to her, "I'm gonna go now, okay? But be good for Luke," she nods, and he leans closer to her, adds a whisper that Luke can obviously hear, "I really like him, so don't say anything bad about me." She giggles and nods, "Go sit down." She skips to the chair Luke was on, and throws her head back into it, watching them. 

"It's all good, see?" 

Michael sighs, shaking his head and then leaning forward, kissing him so briefly on the mouth, "You're an angel, you're-" Jocelyn starts giggling about cooties. Michael gives a breathy laugh, "I owe you for this." There's a determination in his voice that Luke doesn't understand, "Ashton can't say shit about me taking you out to say thank you, Luke." Luke fish-mouths, nodding. "On Friday. We're going out on Friday. To say thank you." 

"To say thank you," Luke echoes. "Okay." 

"Text me if anything happens, like even if it's small, and I'll come back," he says, "Bye Jos, be good for Luke! Remember what I said!" 

"Bye Mikey!" She says enthusiastically. Luke sticks his tongue out at her, and she blushes and looks down at her knees. Michael opens the living room door and turns back to Luke, kissing him behind it briefly. Luke's hand strokes away from his body as the red head pulls away and opens the front door. 

Luke steps back into the living room, Jocelyn fidgeting with the sequins on her leggings. 

"So do you like dancing?" Luke asks. She nods and smiles shyly. "Great, because I'm awful at it and we have this game called Just Dance," she giggles, and Luke asks her a few more questions as he sets it up for two player, keeping her talking and trying to make her at ease. 

Not even half an hour later, Luke's won her over completely. 

He even screams like a girl as she tries to put cake mix in his hair, running around the table in the kitchen as she yells and laughs like a maniac, hands full of the sticky mix as the rest sits in cupcake cases in the oven. 

"I have lovely hair!" Luke protests. She just laughs harder and pounces on his back, rubbing it over his neck and t-shirt to climb up him before he succumbs and pretends to half fall down so she can get it in his hair. 

"We should play tag!" She realises suddenly. "Lukey!" 

"Okay misses, wash your hands first," he helps her sit on the counter top, squirting soap onto to her hands before getting some for himself and rubbing them together. He puts his hands on his face, getting the cake off, as she rinses hers. 

When he rinses his own, he has to rinse his hair too, and is surprised to hear Jocelyn say, "Michael told Mummy you look really good with wet hair." 

"Yeah?" Luke asks, turning off the tap. "Anything else?" He almost feels guilty for asking. He lets her sit on his hip instead of jumping down, and glances at the still-not-risen cakes as they go into the living room. 

"He told her that you kiss like earlier sometimes, and that he could fall over for you. That's weird, that you'd make him fall over. Mummy told me off for ears-dropping then," she giggles, like Luke's chest isn't in his fucking mouth, cutting off his air supply. 

"Eavesdropping," he corrects in a small voice. "He said that?" 

"You're silly," she grins, leaning over the couch to fall onto his lap facing the ceiling, drawing around his features with her finger. Luke smiles small at her. "When are the cakes going to be done? Can we decorate them?" 

"Of course," Luke says, still feeling his heart pound out of his chest, "Let's go mix the icing."

 **MGC** : You both doing okay? 

Luke blinks at the message, head feeling completely dizzy as Jocelyn carefully pipes icing onto the now-cooled fairy cakes. He takes a deep breath and replies.

 **Luke** : I think she likes me, actually

 **Luke** : She's doing really good, and is still very full of energy

 **MGC** : That's good, how're you doing?

Luke's heart feels tight. 

"Lukey, can I put more icing on my favourite one?"

"Of course, sweetheart." 

 **Luke** : Really good, she's sweet. 

 **Luke** : What're we doing Friday?

 **MGC** : Told Ashton I'm taking you to see a movie to say thank you. I was thinking we could actually go to dinner or something though, if you wanted? Just to say thank you

 **Luke** : Anything sounds good to me

He sets his phone down and goes back to decorating with Jocelyn. Eventually, they find their way onto the sofa with the fairy cakes, watching Disney movies until Jocelyn falls asleep on Luke's lap, curled up on a ball. Luke continues watching Finding Nemo anyway, because it's a good movie. 

*

When Ashton, Michael, Calum, Niall, Liam, Louis and Harry get back to the house, Luke is fast asleep on the sofa, sitting up with Jocelyn is his lap with his head resting on the arm-chair. Ashton walks in first, stopping and smiling. When Michael walks in, he feels his entire body melt into his heart, and every fibre of his being screams that he's completely  _gone_  for Luke. He's  _beyond_  gone for Luke, and he wants nothing else for the rest of his life than the picture in front of him. 

"That's actually adorable, I might throw up." Louis says, holding Harry's hand as he walks through to the kitchen and talks animatedly about something Michael can't hear. 

Niall and Liam follow, but Calum sits on the sofa, looking at them. 

"Told you Luke would be fine with her," Ashton says, "He's a sucker for kids, wants tons of the things when he's older." 

"Same," Michael whispers. "I'm going to have to take her home now, though, Mom's gonna worry." 

"Don't worry about waking Lu up, man," Ashton dismisses, waving them off as he walks to the kitchen too, "See you in school tomorrow." 

He's in the kitchen then, and Michael is left with Calum and the sleeping pair. 

Calum gives him a look that's probably supposed to mean something; to warn him off maybe, because he's far too inquisitive for his own good lately, and then silently follows Ashton into the kitchen, closing the door after himself. 

Before he carefully picks Jocelyn up from his lap, he takes a picture of the pair, to show his Mom and because he doesn't really want to forget this image in front of him. Luke wakes up as soon as she's gone instinctively anyway, looking around before seeing Michael holding her. He smiles sleepily, and Michael leans down to kiss his hair softly, lingering. 

"Go to bed, Lu," he whispers, "Thank you so much for watching her for me." 

"She's adorable," Luke murmurs, "Can't you just stay here tonight?" 

"I will Friday," Michael promises, shaking his head and sighing, "Can't wait to take you out, you know. Genuinely, you have no idea." 

Luke smiles, and stretches before he stands up, careful to avoid Jocelyn as he rests his head on Michael's shoulder. 

There's a shout from the kitchen, and Luke pulls himself away, smiling almost sadly. 

"See you Friday, then." 

"Bye, Luke." 

*

 **Luke** : I think I'm really falling in love with him 

 **Luke** : I don't know what to do

 **Luke** : Because at this point I'm either breaking Ashton's heart or my own and none of this can end well for anyone 

 **BryBry** : And how does Michael feel in all of this?

 **Luke** : I don't want to speak for him,

 **Luke** : But I get the idea he's in the exact same predicament as I am with this. 

*

On Friday, he's all hyped up to see Michael after school, which is why he's completely blown away when in his two-hour last period class, Ashton, Calum and Michael all walk in without a care in the world. 

"Can we use one of the music rooms?" He hears Ashton ask. 

The girl behind Luke nudges him, and wiggles her eyebrows, looking between Luke and Ashton. Luke snorts and shakes his head. Her crush on his brother is ridiculous. 

"We have performance exam today boys, so I'm afraid not. You're welcome to sit and watch the performances, though. Your brothers is today, too." 

Immediately, Ashton's eyes find Luke's. Luke shakes his head frantically. 

"We would love that," Ashton says, throwing Luke a smirk. They sit on the desks pushed to the back of the room, looking too cool and collected, assessing everyone. 

"Right!" The teacher, Mrs McDougall claps once, "We'll have to get rolling to get through everyone else who needs to perform today. Remember, when you come on  _stage_ , you have to state what theme you were given, who did what process to make the song, and then knock me dead with the performance. First group come up please!" Luke knows his group is last, so he sits back, talks about the other performances with the people around him, and constantly feels Michael's eyes on him. It's unnerving. 

When his turn comes around, McDougall calls out his name, and a few people sat near the front cheer, Arzaylea cat-calling loudly. 

"Settle down," the teacher laughs. Luke crosses his legs and stands up, the other three members of his group already walking over. Brandon fist bumps him as he walks past. 

"Knock 'em dead, pretty boy!" Leia yells once he's behind the microphone. Luke turns around and shakes his head, letting Claire hand him the guitar he always uses in class. Her words get a few cheers out of the class, and the teacher scolds them again. 

"Right, I'm Luke," a girl at the front whistles, and Luke holds back his laugh, nodding, "We were given the theme of heartbreak, and I wrote the lead guitar, and lyrics with Jack." 

Jack tells them he also wrote lyrics, melody, and rhythm guitar. Clare says she wrote drum music and melody, and Elizabeth says she wrote bass. 

"The song is called Castaway," Luke says, when they're all finished. He gets a nod from Mrs McDougall. He begins on his own, singing the 'Oh's, and then the instruments join in the second time he repeats it. Always have a smooth, easy to follow and not fuck up, opening. 

_"Young love, close the chapter. There's no, ever after. Fell fast, ended faster, yeah."_

The room is silent, as it has to be, but Luke can see Arzaylea grinning at him, and Michael, Calum and Ashton seem jaw dropped when he glances over to them. He puts himself into the music, acting like this is a proper arena performance or something, and not what his music grade rides on this year. They get to the end quickly, where the guitar-battle type solo's are, and Luke fucking kills it with lead, fingers moving faster than in rehearsal, grinning and pulling faces as he does it. He's the one to close the song, and when he does, the room is silent for a few seconds as McDougall turns off the recorder. 

"And that, my beautiful juniors, is how you get an A+ in my class." Cheers and whoops echo through the room as Luke takes off the guitar and grins, sharing a look with Jack that says he knew they could do it. It's almost impossible to get a high as fuck grade for performance, and everyone in the room knows it. Luke walks back through everyone and smirks at Arz, bowing in front of her. She shakes her head with a grin of her own. 

He helps pull her up, since class is practically over now after all the performance, and slaps her hand in some sort of half-assed high five. He shares a brief look with Michael, who's nodding in appreciation, and goes over to the teacher to collect his grade paper. 

He leaves the class with Arzaylea, head held high and texting Michael to ask his thoughts. The response is more than positive. And the following text says he'll be at the house with Ash but they'll be leaving at seven to see their pretend movie. 

*

He's the first one home. He usually is, because Ashton comes back with Calum and Ashton most days, but Michael also picks up his sister and drops her home before they come back.

After opening the front door, he picks up the mail. He never usually looks at it, but his name written out on the front of an envelope, no address, catches his eye. He frowns, wonders if Michael's a hopeless romantic who's into love letters before dates-that-aren't-dates, and opens it with a huff, putting the rest of the mail on the fireplace. 

He pulls the paper out in the living room, seeing his name written - not typed - on top. His eyes scan to the bottom automatically. 

_Lots of Love, Darren._

His eyes crease in confusion. 

He looks back to the top of the page, reading only a line in. 

_To Luke,_

_It's been a long time since we've seen each other, and I apologise for that wholeheartedly._

His stomach completely drops, and a violent sick feeling takes over his body. He rushes back to the mail, to see if there's another letter - one addressed to Ashton, but they're all for James and Liz. Maybe Ashton's had come earlier, as the older one. He stalks back to the letter, looking at it and beginning to cry without really knowing why. He wipes at his eyes frantically when the front door opens and loud laughing is heard. 

He stuffs the letter into his jeans pocket along with the envelope, and wipes at his eyes again.

"Hey, look, you're downstairs!" Ashton jokes as he walks in. Calum and Michael are with him, and Luke just stands in the middle of the floor. They sit on the sofa. "You're in the way of the TV," Luke doesn't hear it, just focuses on trying to move and keep his tears back, "Luke! For fuck sake, move!"  

"Have you had any, like, weirdmail lately?" Luke asks him, without having thought it through first. 

"No," Ashton frowns, "You fucking weirdo, why? Have you?" 

"Um, no," he shakes his head, "No, it's for a school project." He knows it makes no sense, but Ashton dismisses him anyway, apologising to his friends and turning on the TV as Luke scurries upstairs, ripping the letter out of his pocket on the way. He reads the name at the bottom of the page again, sinking into the middle of the stairs as tears fill his eyes again. He scrunches it up in his hand without reading it, and it's shoved to the back of a drawer in his bedroom for the foreseeable future.

*

He's showered, dressed and styled at five to seven, and walks downstairs to see Michael leaning on the living room door-frame, smiling at something Ashton is saying. 

"I'm ready," Luke says quietly.

Michael turns to look at him and smiles softly. "Okay, we're going." 

"Have fun!" Ashton yells. 

"But not too much fun," Calum says distinctly. Luke see's Michael roll his eyes. 

"Ew man, that's my little brother," Luke hears Ashton say just as he closes the front door. He sighs, and follows Michael down to the car. 

Michael has a nice car, it's a range rover style, with heated seats and a chord that you can plug your phone in to play music. He's not even been inside it once, until Michael opens the passenger side door for him, and he slides inside. 

"You look so good," Michael says when he gets in, "Like, so fucking good. I love when your hair is natural like this, a bit curly." 

"I know," Luke blushes, leaning back into the seat and looking at him. "I can't believe we're doing this." 

"Feels kind of wrong, right?" 

"Pretty much the forbidden fruit situation I think Adam and Eve got themselves into," Luke smiles. Michael starts the car and puts his seatbelt on, gesturing for Luke to put on his. He does, and then says, "The good kind of wrong, though." 

"Definitely the good kind of wrong," Michael says. "Let's just do every fucking cheesy date thing ever. We'll go on, like, seven dates in one." 

Luke laughs, as Michael pulls out from the curb and begins to drive. 

"I don't think we have time for that, exactly." 

Michael smirks at him, and Luke shakes his head, laughing. His mind is completely taken away from the earlier letter and crying, and is just focused on Michael and his pink lips and his crazy date-but-not-date idea that's probably the cheesiest thing Luke has ever head. 

"We're doing seven stereotypical dates in one, Luke. I've already made up my mind. We'll just do fifteen minutes of each date, and then with driving time, we'll be back in average-movie time so it's not suspicious."  

Luke just wants to kiss his face off, really. 

**DATE #1: The Cinema**

"Can we share a tango ice blast?" Luke asks, at their first of, apparently, seven dates in one. It's the cinema, and God knows how they're going to see a fifteen minute film. 

"We have to, on this cheesiest date ever," Michael says. He orders it with a smile, and tells the cashier they'll be getting their tickets at the machines in the corner. Instead, when they walk away from the counter, Michael begins walking in the completely opposite direction. 

"Don't we have to get tickets?" Luke asks. 

"No," Michael grins, sipping the slushie drink, "We have to get ready to run." 

Luke must look as confused as he feels, because Michael leans down to grab his hand, and then grins at him - something that makes Luke's knees weak - and starts running. Luke's arm gets pulled hard enough that he runs too - right towards the entrance to the screens where a young girl is collecting tickets and letting people in. 

Luke's mouth drops, and he runs faster. 

"Hey!" She yells, right as Michael pulls him past her and through the door. "You can't do that! I'll call security!" 

"Sorry!" Michael calls back. She turns back around for a second, presumably to get someone, and Luke gets pulled behind another door, close to Michael's chest. "First date's first, the cinema. We have fifteen minutes here, and apparently, we are seeing..." He looks at the screen, "Fifteen minutes of The Incredibles Two." 

"Is the second date fifteen minutes of jail?" Luke asks, as Michael continues to lead him to the seats by his hand. They sit close enough to the door that they won't bother people when they inevitably leave again. 

Michael doesn't let go of his hand for the whole fifteen minutes, nor when they are running back out of the screen and past the same girl, out to the car park as she yells at them again. Luke does nothing but giggle. 

**DATE #2/3: Dinner**

In the que for McDonalds fast food, Luke feels a little ridiculous, and full of adrenaline. Michael asks what he wants, and then tells him to get a table away from the counter, so Luke goes to one at the back of the store with a window next to it, and grins to himself. 

Michael sits down seven minutes later with two bags of food, and sets one in front of him with a drink. 

"We have a bit more time with this one," Michael says. Luke raises an eyebrow. "Because, this date, is actually-" he feels around in the pocket of his leather jacket, and pulls out a fucking candle, slamming it onto the table so it stands up. "Two dates in one." He lights it with a lighter, and Luke looks around the store with wide eyes and a disbelieving smile on his face. "A thirteen year old's typical first date at maccies, and a romantic candle-lit dinner." 

"Oh my God," Luke says, looking at the candle and then Michael across from him. A boy walks past their table and raises an eyebrow at the candle, but says nothing. "You're absolutely insane. You can't light this here." 

"Don't judge my candle lit dinner and eat your chicken selects," Michael says. 

"You planned this whole thing?" Luke asks, referring to the candle as he opens the paper bag and pulls out his fries and one of the sour cream dips. He'd thought the entire idea was spontaneous; something Michael had thought of in the car and then decided to carry out there and then. Apparently not. 

"If we only get  _one_  date, Luke," Michael shrugs, "Then I at least want to feel like I had  _more_  than that, you know?"

Luke nods, putting his hand across the table for Michael's, and looking at the candle dripping wax onto table. Michael grins at him.

**DATE #4: Picnic in the Park**

They get McFlurry's to go, and Michael drives them five minutes away to the park around the corner, where they sit on an old blanket he brought with him and eat the melting ice cream whilst looking at the stars in the sky. 

"This is the most romantic thing that's ever been done for me," Luke says, when the ice cream is gone and the fifteen minutes are almost up. "Seven dates in one. I can't even tell anyone about it." 

Michael turns to him, "I know it's shitty, that it has to be done like this because of-" Ashton, Michael doesn't need to say, "But... don't think of it like that now. Just think of it like- like each date is a new day, okay?" 

Luke nods, as Michael pulls him up. 

"Okay," he whispers, mouth so close to Michael's as he says it. "So when are you picking me up for my next date?" 

He looks at his phone, waits a few seconds and looks up to say, "Hi, I'm here for our date." 

Luke giggles into his chest and runs to the car with him. 

**DATE #5: The Funfair**

The next date; the funfair, is at the other side of town, so they cut into their actual date time with the driving. Luke doesn't mind, because as soon as they get there Michael is grabbing his hand and pulling him through crowds of people; to the front of a que they definitely don't deserve to be at. He whispers something to the young guy running the ride, and then leads Luke up to the empty carriage on the Ferris Wheel without another word. 

"The cheesiest ride for the cheesiest date," Michael says as he helps Luke on. 

Luke sits down, and when Michael gets on their legs press together, and Luke leans his head on Michael's shoulder, waiting for it to move. 

"What did you say to get us on here?" Luke asks. 

"He's in my Chemistry class love, I slipped him a twenty earlier," Michael whispers. Luke shakes his head, unbelieving of how ridiculous this situation really is. They watch the stars at the top, and by the time they're on the ground again, they have to run across the fair to get to the next date.

**DATE #6: Ice-Skating**

In a back section of the fair, there's a small ice-rink to mess around on in a tent, and despite paying for an hours worth of skating, Luke knows they only have fifteen minutes. 

"I can't skate," Michael says, when Luke notices he's been gripping the wall and going along it like a small child for five minutes. "Like, it's bad. I've tried, I'm never getting in the middle of this thing." He shakes his head. 

Luke cocks his hip, "Well now I just have to get you to do it. That's what a cheesy date would do, Michael. And as this is the cheesiest date ever..." He holds out his hand. Michael frantically shakes his head. "We're on number six, don't fuck it up now." 

The red head glares at him before hesitantly putting out one hand and grabbing Luke's outstretched one. Luke pulls him so his other one comes off the side, and Michael stumbles into him, Luke catching him easily as Michael clings to him and loudly curses him out. 

A mother passes, glaring, with her young daughter. 

Luke sucks his lips into his mouth and tries not to smile, carefully pulling Michael to the middle of the ring, and then spinning him slowly once they're there. 

Michael looks at him like he hung the stars outside himself. 

**DATE #7: Bar**

On the seventh and final date, Michael pulls into a side street a little bit away from his house, and kills the engine. Luke blinks at him. 

"Okay," Michael says, "Last stereotypical date is a bar, but - since we're both underage and I don't drink and drive, I thought we could just make the car into a faux bar, and then walk back to yours?" 

He looks nervous. Luke plugs in phone into the speakers of the car, and blasts a popular song filled with bass at the top volume. 

"What?" He shouts at Michael, "The music in here is always so fucking loud!" 

He sees Michael laugh, but can't hear it. He's handed a hipflask, and smells the vodka in it before he takes a swig and grimaces, grinning at Michael afterwards. They both start loudly singing along pretty awfully, dancing in the seats and drinking the spirit like it's going out of fashion. Luke gets through the hip flask in ten minutes, five to spare, and puts it in the glove compartment in front of himself. 

Michael does the same, and then turns the loud music down, finally. It was starting to give Luke a headache - and might've started attracting the neighbours. 

"So, having been on seven more dates than yesterday, how do you feel?" Michael asks. 

Luke licks his lips, "I feel..." He turns to Michael, his head against the chair. "I feel like after seven dates you should've definitely kissed me by now." 

Michael takes the invite like he's been waiting all his life for it, leaning across the gear box and holding the side of his face as their lips connect. The quiet club-style music flows over their heads, and Luke finds himself leaning upwards, pushing Michael back into his chair and leaning over himself. He reaches down without much thought, and pulls the mechanism that makes the chair lie back, still kissing the red head as he falls back, until he's carefully manoeuvring a knee over Michael's legs to straddle him. 

Michael grabs his ass with both hands, and pulls him down so Luke straddles him properly, flat against him, and presses a hot, vodka-sour tongue into his mouth. 

"Thank you," Luke breathes, rubbing against him slowly - as if slow means he's not really doing it at all - and leaning his head sideways so Michael can mouth at his throat. "For the fucking perfect first date,  _so_  perfect." He squeezes his eyes together, "Can feel how hard you are," he admits, moving his hips still so subtly, "Just wanna..." 

"You know we can't," Michael whispers, sounding just as desperate against the skin of his neck. "God, I fucking want to, but we can't." 

"I know," Luke almost whines. "We- we should... stop then." He pulls back slowly, sitting up on Michael's lap, dick pressing so obviously against his jeans that it should really be embarrassing. Michael groans and covers his eyes. "Shouldn't we?"

"Probably," Michael whispers. 

"You don't sound sure," Luke breathes. 

"Neither do you." 

Luke nods, slowly peeling himself away and going back to his own chair, swallowing the excess liquid in his mouth. Every fibre of his being tells him to get back on top of Michael, but he just looks out of the front window and restrains himself.

Nothing is said for five minutes, Luke's boner eventually going down, and Michael's doing the same. They meet eyes again as Michael turns off the music, giving Luke his phone, and Luke's face must read how desperate he is, because Michael makes a desperate sound quietly at the back of his throat and closes his eyes, opening the driver side door to get out. 

Luke gets out too, leans against the car to drink in the fresh air, and then walks around it to the pavement, joining Michael but keeping a certain distance they have to keep here. 

Michael's breath is still heavy. 

"It's for Ashton," Luke whispers, more so to himself. A consolidation. 

Michael looks over to him, and bumps his shoulder briefly, understanding. 

"I'm going to break if we don't get this under ropes soon," Michael whispers, "Whether Ashton is in the picture or not."

Luke nods - feels a bit like he's already broken, and walks up the steps to the front door, stepping in to tell Ashton that the film was fucking amazing before dismissing himself upstairs, since Louis, Harry, Liam and Niall are all there too, now, drunk with a few girls. Probably all stay over, like usual.

Luke collapses into his bed and falls asleep waiting for Michael to get himself away from them all and join him. 

He wakes up briefly an hour after falling asleep, to Michael tucking him under the cover and pulling off his jeans to get next to him. Luke turns around as soon as he's in, scooting over so he's half on top of the boy and can breathe him in like's he's wanted to since they were in the house. Michael kisses his head. 

"You're everything," Michael whispers, as he's falling asleep again. "This is so beyond a crush that I don't even know if I can describe what it is, anymore." 

Luke slips into unconsciousness whilst nodding slowly in agreement.  

The next day he makes Michael his coffee like usual, and gets a chaste kiss on the lips - not cheek - before Michael leaves the house. Luke has a fleeting thought that on Saturday mornings they act a little like a married couple. 

*

Michael finds out about the letter the following Friday, when Luke blurts it out. 

"My sperm doner wrote me a letter." 

"What?" Michael asks, swallowing the water in his mouth. He's sat on the bed reading one of Luke's books, not really feeling the party downstairs so without a drop of alcohol in him, but staying over anyway. 

"My biological father wrote me a letter," Luke says softer than before, shrugging. 

"Did he write Ashton one?" 

"No," Luke whispers, twice as guilty. "It came last Friday, before our date." 

Michael closes the book. "Shit, Luke, why didn't you say anything?" 

"It upset me. I didn't wanna ruin it - it was too good to ruin." Luke admits, "I haven't even - read more than two lines. Like," he stands up from the bed, choking on his words, "Who the fuck does he think he is? Writing to me - why me? Why not Ash? Is this just some sick form of karma or..." He shakes his head, and Michael pulls him back onto the bed, Luke collapsing on his knees. "God, I hate him," Luke says into Michael's chest, "I hate him and all - all that's been in my mind all week is these images that I worked-" he chokes on his words, " _So_  fucking hard to make go away." 

"I get that," Michael whispers, "He was a piece of shit." Luke cuddles into him. 

"But at the same time, I want to know what he could possibly have to say for himself after eleven years of static, you know?" 

Michael nods. 

"Can you - can you read it?"

"Me?" Michael asks, "Luke, I-" 

"Please? Please, I can't do it, and I - I'd rather you do it with me than anyone else. I know it's fucked up - it's so fucked up, and it's a lot, but please do this with me." His eyes are tearing up as he practically begs, and Michael nods, wiping at his tears and kissing both of his cheeks individually. "It's in the drawer of my desk, on the left." 

"Okay," Michael whispers, pulling away after kissing his hair briefly, walking over to the desk and opening up the drawer. "You didn't eat the chocolates I got you ages ago," Luke looks up to his pout, holding up the gold box. His cheeks flush. 

"I wanted to keep them for a while; they don't go off for months." He pauses, "Let's have them now, though, chocolate courage or something." Michael throws them to the bed. 

"And you kept the notes I wrote..." He hears Michael breathe, a smile in his voice that Luke can't deny. "Fuck..." He gets out the crumpled piece of paper, crushed into a ball with the envelope and holds it up. Luke nods and takes the plastic from around the box of chocolates, throwing it to the floor. 

Michael sits against the headboard, and Luke shoves the chocolates next to them, before sitting between his legs. Michael takes one, and then carefully starts undoing the ball of paper, making it into a crinkled - but readable - page. Luke lets the noise of the room tell him what's happening as he blindly reaches for another chocolate. 

"Should I read it out, or read it and then tell you what's on it?" Michael asks in a soft voice. 

"Um," Luke winces, "I don't know." 

"How about I read it and then decide, if that sounds good to you?" 

Luke nods, reaches for another chocolate. They sit in silence for a few minutes, just the sounds of crinkled paper and the crunching of nuts in the chocolate filling the space. 

"Okay," Michael whispers eventually, when Luke finally feels like he just wants to fucking know, and the tension is built up enough to start a storm. "Okay, um, it - it basically says, that he's, uh..." Michael sighs, "He's getting married, and, he's got another little boy by this woman," Luke doesn't move. "And he'd enjoy it, if you - and only you - would go to the wedding. He - he apologises, for the past. Says he's had therapy. That's - that's pretty much it. He left a house number you can call. If you wanted an official invite." 

"Just me?" Luke asks, voice small. "Why not Ashton? Why just me?" 

"He doesn't say, angel," Michael whispers. "How do you feel?" 

Luke opens his eyes, and feels the tears start to run down his face. He smiles, despite it all. 

"I feel like I'm giving Ashton so many reasons to just fucking hate me." His voice is thick with tears, and Michael doesn't say anything, but does pull him closer, wrapping around him like a koala and repeatedly kissing his hair. 

"We can stop - whatever this is, if you want. I'll avoid the house for a bit." 

"No," Luke cries, "No, I don't want that at all. I want to be with you." He sniffles, "I want to that fucking awful excuse of a human being to want either both of us, or none of us. How - how shitty of a person do you have to be to want one but not the other... what makes me the special one?"

Michael just kisses his hair again, rocking him gently. 

Luke lies down against him, Michael doing the same and reaching for the lamp, putting the letter on the bed side table as he switches it off. 

"I'm not going to his fucking wedding," Luke mutters. 

"He doesn't deserve your presence there," Michael replies. "Fuck that dude." 

"And his wife," Luke adds. Michael nods for the sake of it, and Luke curls closer to him. "Thank you, for doing that with me. It means a lot. I'm still furious, but - I'm not kicking off or anything." 

"I'd pretty much do anything for you at this point," Michael whispers. "It's a scary little thought." 

"This is all just completely terrifying to me." He says. 

With Michael's arms as tight around him as they are, he thinks,  _I love you._

He doesn't breathe a single word for the rest of the night. 

In the morning the letter goes in the bin as he boils the kettle for Michael's coffee, and he thinks nothing more of it. 

*

"I'm gay." 

Ashton, who's looking over a newspaper and eating toast with nutella on, snorts, and without looking up says, "You're pretty gay, yeah." 

At least he got his Mom's attention, and James is staring at him now too. 

He opens his mouth, and closes it again. 

"Okay," he whispers. 

Ashton looks up slowly, and Luke busies himself with his own toast, picking the crust of it and crumbling it onto the plate. James nor his Mom seem to know what to say. 

"Are you joking?" Ashton asks. 

Luke shrugs, and frowns at the toast. 

"Luke's gay?" He looks up, see's the question being directed at their Mom instead. "Since when are you gay? You dated-" His face changes, pulling back and going completely blank. "Oh my God, you've dated nobody, ever." 

"Thank you for that insight," Luke sighs, "But- um. Yeah. Gay. A lot gay. With like, dicks and sweaty men and-" 

"Okay, sweetie," Liz laughs, walking over to him and holding out her coffee to give him a side hug and kiss his cheek. "Although I was already aware, I still support anything you do fully." 

"You were aware?" 

Liz nods. 

"I didn't even know," Luke says. She just smiles like she knows all of the secrets in the world, and then leaves the room to get ready for work. James rubs his shoulder, kisses his hair, and does the same. "I like boys," Luke whispers into the new silence of the room. 

Ashton snorts, spits toast onto the table which gets them both laughing, and then jokes that girls didn't like him anyway - and that's that, really, isn't it. 

"Love you, little Lukey." 

"Love you too, Ash." 

Luke feels nothing but guilt for how he feels about Michael for the rest of the day. But he's relieved, at least, since it's out in the open now. 

*

On Wednesday, in the cafeteria at lunch, Luke's friends end up sitting on the table next to Ashton and his friends, and when Luke walks over he see's that Joanna is sat next to Arzaylea, leaning over to talk to Michael and Calum. He rolls his eyes, and drops next to Brandon, nudging him with his shoulder before opening his bottled water. Ashton wiggles his eyebrows at Luke from the other table, and Luke snorts and shakes his head. 

He can hear Joanna flirting from here, which peaks his annoyance to an absolute limit. He tries distracting himself with Brandon, Harry and Zayn; talking about the idea of a party on the weekend. 

"Incoming," Zayn whistles, looking down at his phone. Luke scans quickly, seeing Alex Turner walking towards him; a close friend of Aleisha's, who's known for skipping school and having a shitty personality all around. Sometimes Luke and he get along, sometimes they don't. It depends what mood they're both in - whether one is looking for trouble. 

Luke rolls his eyes. As he gets closer, their own table gets silent. Joanna even leans back over into her seat and begins whispering to Arzaylea. 

Alex walks past, saying quietly and gruffly, "Hemmings," as some sort of greeting. Luke must look surprised, because Brandon nudges his knee, and then Luke's head is being knocked by Alex's shoulder as he walks past. 

"Still don't wanna fuck your friend, asshole," Luke mutters. 

"Excuse me?" Alex says. 

"Man, fuck you, fuck off," Brandon dismisses. 

"Can't speak for yourself?" Alex asks Luke, grinning.

Luke rolls his eyes, and looks over to see Joanna whispering to Ashton's table; probably filling them in, but her hand is on Michael's fucking thigh, and the gears is Luke's brain just fucking snap. He slams his hands against the table and stands up, getting the attention of multiple people around them. 

Alex holds his hands up and takes a few steps back. Shock litters his features. 

"Back off," Luke says, "Back the fuck off today. I'm not in the mood." 

"On your period?" Alex laughs. Luke just fucking goes for him; can't help himself, and within seconds Brandon and Zayn are up to pull him back, and Arzaylea is standing between them, giving Luke a perplexed look. Alex holds his hands up, "Chill, Lu. We're good, yeah?" 

"Fuck off, Alex," Zayn says, sounding tired. 

"You know what? Let's just fucking end this now," Luke spits, "Let's go to Aleisha, see what the fucking obsession is all about, and finish this. Okay?" 

"Jesus, something has really pissed you off today, huh?" Alex laughs. "After you." 

He points to the direction of Aleisha, and Luke breaks away from Zayn and Brandon, face completely void of any emotion but anger. 

"Babe," Arzaylea says, grabbing his hand and linking their fingers, "Lu," she says again, just as Luke walks past Michael, Calum and Ashton who are all staring in silence, "Babe, calm down. Luke." 

Alex follows behind them like he owns the school. 

Luke lets Arzaylea hold his hand, and pulls her closer, "I'm fine," he says, "Just so done with this bullshit. She needs to get a fucking life, and stopping getting assholes on my fucking dick to piss me off." 

Aleisha looks up at them, and her eyes widen. Luke gives her a fake smile, and waves with his free hand. She looks distraught, and her friends don't seem to know what to say. 

He gets to the table, and leans over in front of her, one hand pressed to the table and one still linked with Arzaylea's. 

She meets his eyes only briefly. 

"I don't know how or why you've become obsessed," Luke says slowly, "But it needs to stop now. Keep your asshole college boyfriends, and your asshole friends," he looks to Alex pointedly, "Away from me. I've tried to be nice, but I'm at my fucking breaking point here." 

She looks between their joined hands, and then back at him. Luke likes to imagine she thinks they're dating. 

"Don't invite me to your parties, don't try to add me on anything, just... leave me alone. For fuck sake, Aleisha. I'm sick of assholes picking a fight because I can't force myself to have feelings for someone I don't even-" he bites his tongue, "Okay?" 

She nods. 

Luke turns around, and hears Arzaylea mutter, "Bitch," to her, before they leave. Luke squeexes her hand. "Wanna skip? Everyone is staring over there." 

Luke looks to the tables, where their own table and Ashton's are intrigued and not even bothering to hide it, nods, breaking apart their hands and putting an arm around her instead. 

Luke blows a kiss to Brandon, and he grins before standing up, saying something to Leia that makes her grab her bag. The two meet Luke and Arzaylea at the door, and they all go to McDonalds for the remaining school time. 

 **MGC** : What

 **Luke** : ?? 

 **MGC** : Where the hell did that anger come from? Who was that guy? Just what?? 

 **Luke** : From within. An asshole. That's it. 

 **MGC** : Are you hurt?

 **Luke** : No

 **Luke** : So you can go back to flirting with Joanna now. 

 **MGC** : What the hell is that supposed to mean?

 **MGC** : ??? 

 **MGC** : Luke, seriously?

*

When he gets home at average school ending time, he's alone as usual. Michael's car pulls up as Luke is unlocking the front door, and Luke goes in, rolling his eyes that they're all here a little early today. 

However, when the front door opens, Michael is alone. 

"You're just going to ignore my texts?" He asks, closing the door behind himself and following Luke into the living room, and then the kitchen. "Am I being ignored in person too?" 

"No," Luke says, tone reminiscent of a child who hasn't got their own way. 

"Who the fuck says I'm flirting with Joanna?" He asks suddenly, staring at him from across the table as Luke pours himself a glass of water. Luke takes a sip, and leans against the sink, facing him with a blank look. He shrugs. Michael holds out his hands. "What the  _fuck_ , Luke? Where is this even coming from?" 

"My shitty personality, I guess," Luke spits. He pours the rest of the water down the drain and slams the glass onto the marble, going back into the living room and sitting on the sofa, turning on the TV with the remote. 

Michael turns it off at the wall. 

"Your fucking attitude is off the charts," Michael says, "I don't flirt with anyone!" Luke opens his mouth, "That includes Joanna." 

"You flirt with me." 

Michael looks exasperated. Luke folds his arms and blinks. 

"Because I  _like_  you, you fucking dickhead," Michael says, "I don't like Joanna, do I?" 

"I don't know, do you?" It's petty and childish and Luke doesn't really understand why it's so underneath his skin that he can't just make a joke about it; but he's been reading into it because of the beach and now school, and beautiful, perfect Joanna is just fucking everywhere, really, isn't she. 

"No!" Michael yells. "No, you fucking moron, I like you! Only you! Just fucking you, and why would I lie when it gets me into such a mess anyway?! Why would I- for fuck sake, Luke, do you think I just go round sleeping in peoples beds and making out with them and crying onto them and shit?" Luke shrugs, frowning. Michael sighs, and walks over, kneeling in front of the couch to make eye contact with him. He looks almost furious. "How can you not believe me?" 

"Well, you can't date me... so... I don't know, she's hot. You guys would look good together." 

"Are you serious?" Michael asks, making Luke look at him again. "Fuck me, Hemmings. This is ridiculous. She's got nothing on you." Luke bites his lip. "I want nothing but  _you_ ," Michael emphasises, "Okay?" 

Luke nods, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'm an idiot, and so  _so_  jealous- it drives me insane," he then adds in a small whisper, "I've just never felt this way about anyone before." 

Michael leans up, and kisses him so softly that Luke almost feels like he's kissing a pillow. He leans forward, holding his face and feeling the growing stubble he has now. 

"I've never felt like this about anyone either," Michael whispers into his mouth before the kiss heats up. Luke heats it up upon hearing the words, and pulls Michael up onto the couch to straddle him. 

They end up exchanging handjobs right there on the sofa, foreheads pressed together, lips raw and cheeks flushed red. Luke's head spins, and neither guilt nor Ashton cross his mind once. 

*

Ashton comes home after a short while, and Luke kisses Michael quickly before going upstairs and collapsing onto his bed, a love sick grin on his face. 

He picks up his phone, and quickly presses call on Bryana's number, grinning at the ceiling. 

"My pretty boy, to what do I owe the pleasure?" 

Luke's grin intensifies, "Something happened." 

There's a short pause, and then a gasp. "Something happened?! What?! Did you do it?!" 

"No," Luke laughs, "But... something happened. We were arguing, and then making out, and then... you know." 

"Oh my God!" She screams, "Yes, my boy! My angel- fucking  _get_  it!" 

Luke just laughs, pulling the cover over himself and surrounded by bliss. 

"God, I feel- I feel  _everything_." Bryana continues to scream in excitement. "I think we're all going to the beach again Saturday afternoon if the weather is nice," he says, "I'll meet up with you." 

"Everything about this call is good news, and I am  _living_ , Luke! I am living!" 

*

Michael can't stay round on Friday night, but he promises he'll stay Saturday to make up for it and give some excuse to Ashton. Instead, he has to watch his sister while his Mom covers a late shift at work, and he and Luke text all night. 

*

On Saturday, Luke wakes up at his usual, unreasonable hour. He can hear how loud the house is due to the sheer amount of people downstairs; everyone probably ready to go. Luke looks over to his clock, and see's that they're set to leave in about an half an hour - everyone is just waiting for Michael to finish work. 

Luke takes his phone off charge to read Michael's reply from last night, and quickly texts him back knowing he won't get a reply until Michael finishes work. 

He gets up purely because he needs a shower, and the house is too loud to fall back asleep. He's half asleep as he walks around the landing in his boxers, rubbing his eyes and trying to make his hair not stick out at one side. When he pulls his hands away from his face, Michael is stood in front of him. 

He blinks. 

"You're not at work." Luke says, raspy and deep because he's just woken up. Michael bites his lip, and Luke sleepily smiles at him. Then he's being kissed into the wall - that wakes him up, really. "I've not even brushed my teeth." 

"I don't care, you're fucking beautiful," Michael says against his neck before attacking it with long kisses. Luke stretches his head back, nails digging into Michael's back. The music pulsing through the house get's loud suddenly, and a laughing girl starts walking up the stairs. 

Michael doesn't even pull away. He just walks Luke back to his room as they kiss, and slams the door shut behind them. He pulls away briefly, and Luke kisses at his jaw. 

"Nobody knows I'm here, idiots are so fuckin' loud and I just got your text." Luke bites his jaw and he hisses in a breath, "Parked around the corner." 

"Naughty," Luke breathes, kissing Michael before either of them can say anything else, and pushing him back to the bed before crawling on top of him. "Did you finish early?" 

"Yeah, and we have half an hour so-" Luke doesn't waste time, then. He leans back in, kissing Michael hard and heavy as he pops the button on his jeans. Michael lifts up slightly, and Luke pulls them off completely, immediately leaning back over him and threading his fingers through Michael's soft hair. 

Michael turns them over gently, pulling up Luke's body so his head is on the pillows and running his fingers down the pale torso. Luke's stomach muscles constrict and his entire body feels as if it shivers. 

"You are unbelievably pretty," he breathes. 

Luke wiggles, looking down at his dick pressing against his boxers and then to Michael. 

"You think?" He asks, voice still rough but for a completely different reason now. 

"God yes. Could just fucking kiss you everywhere." 

"Go on then," Luke says. Michael's eyes meet his, bites his lip before picking up one of Luke's hands, kissing his knuckles softly, and threading their fingers together. Then he really does start kissing him everywhere. Luke is reduced to nothing but soft noises and squirmy movements. When Michael kisses his inner thighs, pushing fabric out of the way to do so, Luke can't control his own legs as they wrap around his head, keeping him there. Michael kisses over his boxers and at the top of the waistband, and then pulls them down. The soft noises turn into moans from there. 

Receiving a blowjob is pretty much one of the best experiences Luke has had in his life, and when he finishes, and Michael doesn't even try to move away, just goes harder and swallows him down. Luke has the 'L' word on the tip of his goddamn tongue. He doesn't say anything just in case, but he does sit up to kiss Michael, tasting salt and stickiness on his lips and not caring even a little bit. Michael has wetness on his boxers that tells Luke he probably got himself off during, and that makes his head spin. 

"I'm beyond liking you," Luke whispers, because it's not a  _I Love You_ , but it's close enough. 

"I'm beyond liking you too," Michael whispers back. "So far beyond." 

Luke thinks that maybe it's close to being an _I Love You Too._

"We have five minutes to spare," Luke grins suddenly, wiggling his eyebrows. The red head cackles and pushes him back into the bed, making Luke bounce around. He grabs a pillow and wallops him with it, and Michael yells and tries to grab his own pillow, but Luke just hits him again, harder. Michael grabs his foot and pulls him down the bed, snatching the pillow and throwing it across the room. Luke just laughs.

"You really should get ready. I'm going to be here in," he looks to the clock, "Three minutes. We're going to the beach, remember?" 

Luke pouts, and leans in to kiss him. 

"It's almost like you're here with me now," He replies, standing up, "I can feel your presence." 

He opens his drawer to put on socks and underwear, and then goes over to the wardrobe to get out some clothes. 

"I'm a present guy, what can I- wear the grey one." Luke holds up the t-shirt, marbled grey and black and completely skin tight, and Michael nods. He's putting his own clothes back on, too. Luke pulls on some black shorts and goes back over to Michael, kissing him gently and repeatedly, chasing his mouth. "I'm going to be late." 

"I still have to brush my teeth." 

Michael kisses him again, sucking at his bottom lip. He's barely an inch away from Luke's face as he says, "You're my baby." 

"I like that," Luke whispers back, "Just yours." 

"Just mine," Michael repeats, kissing him so softly Luke feels a bit like he should cry. 

At the beach he sneaks off to meet Bryana at the rocks and smokes, and she gushes as he tells her everything - from the seven dates, to the anger-fused handjobs, to this morning. Luke can't feel guilt anymore; it's completely overshadowed by the full, tingling feeling in his heart that won't go away. 

*

On Saturday night at six minutes past four in the morning, Luke Hemmings loses his virginity. 

It starts with a simple snuggle closer, and Luke finds himself awake, and Michael groaning, and he's almost surprised that he isn't being told what The Spice Girls really, really want. He smiles at the thought, leaning up to kiss him. Michael seems to think it's a normal time to initiate a make-out, and Luke is far from complaints. 

It goes further, and further, until they're naked and Luke is sat on top of him so really, it's halfway to sex anyway, and actually sitting around his dick rather than just on top of it wouldn't make much difference. It's a lame excuse, but it's all Luke has. 

"I- I have lube," Luke whispers breathlessly, careful not to be loud enough to wake the multiple people staying at their house again, since everyone from the beach seemed too exhausted to go home. 

"Fuck Luke, God," Luke continues to grind, "Fuck - we shouldn't - we should not-" Michael squeezes his eyes closed. "You're Ashton's brother." 

"I'm yours," Luke says in correction. Michael moves his hips and his dick goes between Luke's cheeks anyway, and then his eyes flicker like a candle. 

"Where is it?" 

"Under the pillow." 

Michael has it out and on his fingers in seconds, making Luke lean forward to kiss him as he presses one in. Luke expected to feel pain, for some reason, since it was someone else doing it and not himself. But his eyes drift closed and he spreads his legs further and he kisses Michael like it's the last kiss he'll ever have. 

Then two. Then three. Then Luke was hitting his hands away and putting a condom on him and lubing it up all ready to fucking go. Michael stops him just as the tip touches his hole, carefully holding him up, stroking his face. 

"Slow your roll," Michael whispers, breathless, red and sweaty. Luke smiles softly. "You really wanna do this?" 

"Have I given you any other indication?" 

"Lu, baby," Michael shakes his head, presses his upper half up so they're sat together and kisses him. "You're horny, it's 4am... it's your first time..." 

"Does that bother you?" 

"No, fuck no, makes you fucking hotter. Literally all mine." 

"Michael, it's 4am, I'm horny, it's my first time," Luke whispers, smirking, "And I'm asking you to, please, fucking  _please_  - I will beg - fuck me. Fuck me, make love to me, just fucking-" 

He's cut off as Michael flips them over, hovering over his body and gently pressing his tip to Luke's hole, pushing enough to give pressure but not go in. Luke's breath catches in his throat, spreading his legs further, holding onto Michael's back. 

"Make love to you," Michael whispers into his ear, "And  _I'm_  the cheesy romantic." 

Luke smiles, kissing him briefly, "Make love to me. Please." 

Michael pushes in slowly, just the tip, and kisses all over Luke's face when he winces. He goes again, halfway, obviously straining himself for Luke's comfort, and then, after a few minutes of lazy kisses and Luke drawing patterns onto his back, bottoms out. 

Luke bites his tongue so hard he wonders if it bleeds.

"You okay?" Michael whispers, not moving but just stroking down his face. "You have no  _idea_  how good you feel." 

Luke grabs his face and kisses him hard and fast, not stopping for a breath for at least a minute - instead just breathing in the taste of his mouth, the feel of his tongue, the plush of his lips. He moves ever so slightly, probably just an accident, and Luke moans into his mouth. 

"Oh God, you're hot," Michael groans, "Shit, Lu." He sounds strained. 

"Move," Luke begs, "Move, now." 

Michael thrusts so hard Luke moves up the bed, head being stopped by the pillows, and the headboard bangs against the wall. His moan probably matches the noise level. 

"Fuckin' noisy bed, fuck off," Michael groans. "And you," He nudges the side of Luke's face. Luke laughs breathlessly, and Michael watches fondly, still inside him, kissing his cheek. He leans up the bed, over Luke, and throws two pillows - both from Luke's side, to which the blonde rolls his eyes - behind the headboard, moving experimentally to see if it bangs. He grins when it doesn't. "I saw a meme about that, can't believe it works." 

"Fucking move, Mikey," Luke replies. Michael kisses his cheek, smiles, and then starts rocking his hips back and fore. 

Luke see's goddamn stars. He wonders if this is what all sex is like, as he looks in Michael's eyes, gets kissed all over, gets stroked up and down his hips, over his arms. Michael links their fingers together, and Luke knows this wouldn't feel the same as a one night stand. Michael could probably fuck him through the wall and it would still be more loving than a one night stand. Fleetingly, he wonders how most of his friends do it. How shitty it must be. 

"You good?" Michael whispers into his ear, panting, raspy. So hot. His breath even feels hotter than usual. 

"So good," Luke says, still moaning and whimpering and gasping without a second thought. He'll probably give Michael a headache. 

However, seconds later, Michael whispers, "You sound... fuck the way you sound... you're gonna end this way too soon if you carry on." 

"Can't help it, asshole- fuck," He fists the bedsheets in his free hand, eyes closing and opening to meet Michael's green ones. His eyes almost look vacant, but so with him at the same time. This is what Michael looks like while he has sex. Luke takes a mental picture; wonders if he looks just the same. "Mikey, Mikey... Michael." 

He slows down, breathing heavy, and strokes three fingers over Luke's cheek. 

Luke's sounds turn soft, and he lifts his hips up, helping him get deeper. When Michael hits that spot, Luke presses his head back to the pillow, knowing he babbles something but unable to hear himself. All he can feel is the ripple that goes through him, the euphoria. 

Michael puts a hand underneath his back and arches it slightly, still slowly pressing in and out of him, hard enough that Luke whimpers every time he hits that spot. 

"Okay, I tried to last. I did, but you sound and look and  _feel_  so fucking good no matter what I do," Michael breathes. He sounds completely fucked already, like he's properly straining himself to hold back. Luke shivers, feeling the sound of his voice pulse throughout his body. "God, you're beautiful." Luke blinks, meets his lips as Michael slows completely down. He can make a coherent thought now, at least, but his dick almost hurts he's so close. 

"All yours," Luke kisses into him. 

"Completely mine," Michael says, "I'm gonna come soon. I can't-" 

"Same," Luke breathes, "So fuck me please. Don't be selfish and let me come first." 

Michael thrusts, "As you wish, baby." 

Luke does come first, and Michael fucks him through it all whilst jerking him off to make sure he's well and truly taken care of, before brokenly coming himself when Luke whines, pulsing in his body and shivering before slowly pulling out. 

He lies where he is - on Luke - despite the come that's all over Luke's stomach, pressing them together, and kisses his neck softly. 

Luke strokes his hair, breathing heavy and a bit like he's just done a days work that he'd probably do over and over until he dropped dead. 

"I have to get up for work in an hour and a half," Michael moans. 

"I promise I'll make you a coffee if I can walk." 

"You're such an idiot," Michael snorts, "My idiot, though." 

Luke wraps his sweaty, naked legs around Michael's waist, and squeezes him as hard as he can, making him wheeze and half laugh. He gets more neck kisses in return, which is a pretty good deal, in comparison. 

They fall asleep in the same position, half stuck together and naked, during soft kisses and lazy talk, and when Luke actually wakes up to The Spice Girls telling him what they want, they're still holding hands, tight, despite the sleeping state. Luke thinks  _Wannabe_  may be his new favourite song. 

*

Luke bites his lip, clicking the knuckles of his fingers and tapping his foot repeatedly against the kitchen floor. Sending the message with a hiss intake of air. 

 **Luke** : How would you feel about just... telling him? 

 **Luke** : He can't be that mad if we just tell him, right?

"Luke, if your foot doesn't stop pissing me off-" Ashton hisses. Luke looks up, stops moving his foot, and gives a fake smile. 

"What's on your mind, Lu?" James asks. 

"Nothing," Luke mumbles, "I'm good." 

He nods slowly, and Liz sips her cup of tea loudly, and when Luke's foot starts jittering again, Ashton gives him a look thats almost louder than the entire state. Luke smirks into his phone, pretending he can't see. His phone vibrates. 

 **MGC** : I think you're misinterpreting how mad he gets over the tiniest things, first of all, angel. Second, let's just tell him anyway. I can't do it like this, I feel fucking awful for going behind his back. 

 **Luke** : So we wait for the right time and tell him?

 **MGC** : Yes baby. 

 **Luke** : Good :-)

 **Luke** : We're not telling him about the sex though 

 **MGC** : Haha, fuck nooooo

 **MGC** : Just the feelings xx

 **Luke** : The many, many feelings?

 **MGC** : We probably wouldn't have to tell Ashton anything if you knew how strongly I felt about you, angel. You'd run away from me, and there'd be nothing to tell. 

 **Luke** : Think you're doubting how strongly I feel back, Mikey. 

*

They have sex every day for four days after the Saturday, physically unable to get enough of each other. Twice in Michael's car, once in Luke's kitchen against a worktop, and once more in Luke's bed. When Thursday comes, and Michael has to go to school and then straight to work, Luke feels sick knowing he won't be able to see him. They text all day, and before and after Michael's shift, and Luke just knows he's in love. He can feel it all through his body, lighting him up. 

"You look... different, lately." 

Luke looks up from his lunch. "Hmm?" 

"You look different. Happier. You're nicer. Things don't piss you off as much." Arzaylea says. Brandon, Leia and Zayn are only at the table with them so far, and all watch the conversation with interest. 

"So?" Luke says, sipping his water. "It's Friday, life is good, I'm happy." 

"Good," she smiles, "It suits you." 

"It really does, man." Brandon agrees, Leia and Zayn nodding. Something more must be going on with them now; they're holding hands under the table. Harry, Joanna and Laura sit down, laughing about something, and nothing more is said on the subject of Luke's happiness. 

He looks across the cafeteria, at where Michael and Ashton are sat, and smiles down at himself before taking another sip of water. 

 **Luke** : You look hot 

Luke see's Michael pull his phone out of his pocket, strategically angling it away from everyone, and then grin.

 **MGC** : Got a staring problem, much, Hemmings?

 **Luke** : Real bad staring problem when it comes to you

 **MGC** : That's confident for someone who wouldn't take off his shirt to have sex in my car in case someone walked past... 

 **Luke** : Fuck you. 

 **MGC** : Awww, are you upset that you didn't get fucked yesterday cause I had to work?

Luke can't wipe the grin off his face. 

 **Luke** : Asshole.

 **MGC** : How about we skip last and go utilise your free house, baby? 

 **Luke** : Please. 

 **MGC** : Meet me at the car xx

"I have to go," Luke blurts. 

"What? Class doesn't start for a half hour?" 

"I feel like I'm gonna throw up," Luke lies. Arzaylea frowns but nods slowly. "I'm just gonna go sleep it off." 

"Do you want a lift?" She asks. Luke is already standing up he's so eager. 

"Nah, fresh air will do me good," he says, not meeting her eye. 

"Hope you feel better, Lu!" Leia enthuses, as he walks away. He smiles at them all, see's Michael across the hall making some excuse too, and grins to himself, biting at his bottom lip as he slips out of the hall and walks towards the car park. 

Luke, unsurprisingly, feels a lot better after being bent over his desk and fucked within an inch of his life. 

*

Luke becomes infatuated with Michael quickly and without hesitation. That Friday night while Ashton, his friends, and Luke's throw a party, they're upstairs with Chinese food Michael brought over, watching Criminal Minds and arguing with each other while they try to work out the crimes themselves. They get rice all over the bed after throwing it at each other, Michael get's curry sauce all down his face and Luke attempts to lick it off, leaving him sticky, mostly. He makes Michael's coffee Saturday, kisses him before he goes to work. Michael and he go on a date Saturday night, Luke sneaks him up, and makes him another coffee Sunday before his shift. They spend the entire week sneaking around, and then repeat the entire routine on the weekend. Luke literally can't get enough of him, and he thinks Michael feels the exact same way. 

Which is why it's inevitable that, four weeks after that Friday, it all comes crashing down around them.

The Friday party had been one Ashton had been waiting for, for the entire fours weeks. Liz and James couldn't get lined up, therefore being unable to go to the cabin, and it had been weekends filled with family nights in. So when the free house finally comes around, it's a big one. Everyone they know seems to be invited, and they have more bottles of alcohol than people. 

Luke and Michael both have to make an appearance, in order for it to seem at least a little normal, and because Ashton has been complaining that he barely see's Michael because he 'works so much', AKA, lies about working to be with Luke. Arzaylea, Brandon and Leia think Luke has got a whole other secret life with better friends, and for these reasons, the party must be have their attention. 

Luke can only get away from his friends' grasps when they're completely wasted and Brandon is looking for a hook-up, going up to his room only to be pressed to the wall next to his door as he opens it. Michael grins at him. 

"You drink anything tonight?" He asks, before kissing him. 

"No, did you?" 

"Just one beer," Michael whispers, and Luke nods, relieved, before he's kissed into the wall. He tries closing the door with his foot, pushing it ajar and putting a mental reminder in his brain to close it properly if this goes further than kissing. 

He can't help it that Michael makes him lose his mind, constantly. 

It gets heated fast, Michael having been at work Wednesday and Thursday night, at school in the day, and unable to really acknowledge him at the party all night. Luke can put his hand on heart and admit he's missed him, becaue text conversations aren't really enough, sometimes. Michael must feel similarly, because within minutes he's picking him up, making Luke's legs wrap around his hips, and grinding into him against the wall, right there. 

Luke throws his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. Michael's tongue goes to his neck, undoing shirt buttons with his teeth, leaving scratch marks, love bites, kisses, everything. Luke can't control the noises that leave his mouth. 

Just as he's lifting the back of Michael's shirt, squeezing his legs, kissing him with everything he's got and more, the door is pushed wide open, brushing Luke's hands where they're tangled up with the cotton of Michael's t-shirt. 

"Lu, Ashton asked if you've seen-  _oh_." 

Michael takes a small step away from him, his head dropping, and Luke looks up like he's just been caught selling fucking drugs to a heroin addict by a cop. 

Joanna opens her mouth, closes it again, and frantically walks out of the room. 

Luke mouths at Michael before running after her, doing up the buttons of his shirt so it covers up how hard he is, and the redness all over his torso that she must've noticed. She goes into the bathroom, tries to close the door, but he pushes it open and steps in himself, closing it behind them and leaning against it. 

"That's not what it looks like," he breathes, panicked. 

She smiles small, nodding. 

"Really," Luke stresses. "That's literally - never happened before. Fuck, Jo- you - please do  _not_  tell Ashton. Please." There's word vomit pouring out of he mouth, and he can't stop the lies that come to cover him tracks. His heart is beating out of his chest, he's red all over, and he's probably never had a boner die quicker in his life. "I don't even know what I was thinking." 

"It's, a bit stupid, yeah," she whispers, tucking a piece of long, dark hair behind her ear. She's frowning. "Doesn't he always sleep in your room?"  

"Not like that," Luke says, "On the fucking - beanbag thing. We barely even talk, fuck. Just please keep this to yourself, please." 

"Um, okay," she says, smiling acutely, "I've got you Luke, don't worry. I've got your back." He releases a breath, leaning against the door again since he's been moving around with panic. "Don't believe you for one second that it's not happened before though," she laughs, winking at him. "My lips are sealed." 

He nods, "Thank you. Enjoy the party, I guess." 

"Yeah," she grins at him, "Enjoy your night too." 

He smiles, and turns around to leave. As he opens the door, he doesn't see the grin drop from her face as she realises she's been pining after a boy who hasn't wanted her - but Luke, all this time. He doesn't see her grip the bathroom sink as he closes the bathroom door behind himself, and once he's back in his room to reassure Michael that they're safe, he doesn't see her storming downstairs and out of the house to call an uber home. Luke, in fact, goes to sleep without a care in the world, wrapped in his love's arms. 

*

Joanna manages for almost a week. Five days, specifically. 

Luke should've known better. 

It's Wednesday when it happens. There are twelve kids in the house - and Luke doesn't know how Liz copes with it, honestly - all in the living room, with low music playing. Liz brings in cups and three bigs bottles of coke zero for them to have; she's sat in the kitchen doing some paperwork for her job with the door closed, letting the kids have their peace, or, as Luke knows, trying to block out their loud mouths combined. 

Luke's sat on the loveseat, sprawled over Arzaylea and Brandon who are squished on there together, opposite Zayn, Leia and Joanna who are sat up against the radiator. Michael, Ashton, Calum and Louis are practically on top of each other on the sofa, and Liam - and his new girlfriend Sophia, are sitting on the marble opposite the fireplace, on top of each other despite the room they have. Luke feels a little envious of them. 

"Okay, but if we go on Saturday, we'll have to wait for Michael to finish work," Ashton says, "An go in the evening again." 

"But Harry finishes at six on a Sunday," Louis states, "So it'll have to be Saturday," there's a pause, Ashton opens his mouth, but Louis says, "And yes, Harry wants to come. So Saturday afternoon it'll have to be." 

They're trying, miserable, to plan a beach day in which they can all go and not completely miss the sun. Skipping school on Friday would be the easiest, but skipping one day in a term is already enough for Liz to be slightly annoyed at them. There'd also be a large portion of the student body missing. 

"So girls, and drivers." Ashton says, taking a drink and then continuing. He's the leading organiser, because most of the time he manages to stay on topic. Luke ignores the conversation, kicking Brandon at random intervals and squirming against Arzaylea's numb arm, playfully fighting with the both of them and whispering about how they should hook up jokingly. "Joanna drives, Michael does, Louis does, Arzaylea... do we need another driver?" 

"Harry and Niall aren't here, that's fourteen of us already mate," Zayn says, "You'll wanna bring a girl, right?" 

"Of course," Ashton snorts, "Brandon will, right?" Brandon shouts a muffled yes from where Luke's tried shoving an elbow in his mouth. "Cal?" Luke doesn't see nor care or the reply, but then, "Michael needs someone. You never bring someone." 

"Aren't numbers big enough?" Luke looks up slowly, holding himself up with one hand on Brandon's thigh. Halsey's 'Bad At Love' plays quietly through the room, and Leia is mouthing the words. "That's eighteen of us, and one of you will have to bring a girl who drives just for that purpose alone." 

Arzaylea pokes him in the side, and Luke squirms back into her, giggling and fighting with them both again, whispering, ignoring the conversation. 

"So? You never pull. Bring someone, anyone you like." 

"I'm good," Michael snorts. "Not really a one night stand guy." 

"Props!" Arzaylea shouts to him, still poking Luke. Luke and Michael meet eyes for a second, and the red head smiles wide, Luke red in the face and grinning back before he goes back to messing around with his friends. 

"Do you even know what sex is?" Zayn asks. "You gotta pull soon mate." 

It's a joke. Everybody knows it's a joke because everybody laughs, and amongst Luke's outburst at Brandon poking his dimple and Arzaylea squeezing his hip a bit too hard - everyone's loud fucking laughter, Luke hears crystal clear when Joanna opens her mouth and says, "In the meantime he could always just fuck Luke though." 

Some of them awkwardly laugh - Ashton's closer friends, mostly, because it sounds a bit like an awful fucked up joke to someone who doesn't know Ashton well enough and how weird he is about Luke jokes. But most don't. Luke and Michael don't. Ashton certainly doesn't. 

"What?" Ashton asks. 

Arzaylea and Brandon aren't touching him anymore, and Luke sits up slightly, shifting more to the arm chair. 

Joanna shrugs, pulls a face that shows her teeth and makes her nose crinkle up, "Shit... you didn't know?" 

"What?" Ashton repeats, voice lower. He looks at Michael, the room completely silent now. Michael's eyes flit from Joanna to Luke and then finally to him. Ashton's mouth drops open when Michael can't find a single word, and he looks at Luke. It's by instinct that Luke looks down at his jeans, before quickly meeting his eyes. "What's she on about?" 

"I don't know," Luke says quickly. He wants to say more, anything that could get them out of this mess, but nothing else will leave his head and travel down to his mouth. 

Joanna clears her throat, and Luke looks to her, about ready to cry by now because he's never really been good with this sort of thing when it comes to Ashton. They both got the temper from their dad- were clashing constantly in their mid teens until Liz put a real stop to it and they finally built a proper relationship from scratch. Luke can see the foundation of it crumbling before his eyes. Joanna stares at him, nonchalant, shrugging and frowning like she's actually sorry when she doesn't really look sorry at all, "I thought he knew, Sorry Lu." 

Luke blinks, as Ashton stares at him. He feels tears coming to his eyes. 

"Oh my God," Ashton is repeating quietly, subtly rocking back and fore before he stands up from the sofa and rips open the kitchen door, stepping in before slamming it up. 

Joanna bites her bottom lip and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. 

"Oops?" 

"I can't believe you just did that to me," he's whispering in case Ashton can still hear them. He looks to Michael and then puts his head in his hands. "Jealous bitch," he moans in disbelief. He looks back at her. 

She stands up slowly, pushing herself against the wall. She's still biting her lip, almost smirking at him but not just yet. It's blood boiling. 

The kitchen door opens again, Ashton storming in and taking back the silence by storm, "So you've actually just been fucking my brother then?!" Liz slowly walks to the doorway, a glass of water in hand and a ghost like look on her face. "You've just been coming to my house and actually - fucking my brother?!" 

Nobody seems to know what to say. Even Michael, who's stood up too, but is still completely lost for words. 

"Oh my God!" Ashton yells, pushing him. Luke doesn't know when he stood up, but he's up now, most people are. "Oh my fucking God, you actually have!" Joanna is still stood against the wall. Luke feels the urge to just fucking kill her. Liz seems to realise that a fight is pretty much bound to break out, and whispers something to Liam - the closest to her. Amongst the chaos, he rounds up most people there and takes them out of the front door, leaving only Calum and Louis with the three of them. 

Luke's just the glad to see the back of Joanna. Nobody says anything as they're ushered out, but Luke is sure they're talking about it outside. 

"Unbelievable!" Ashton screams, as the front door closes, "Is this whole fucking friendship bullshit just a ploy to get back at me? Some revenge scheme because I kissed your cousin  _once_  six months ago?!"

"No," Michael whispers, "No, it's nothing like that." 

"So it really is just you. Fucking my brother." 

"Ash," Luke whimpers, almost crying. Ashton turns around, burning him down with his eyes, daring him to say anything. 

Luke can't. 

"I would  _never_  do this to you," he tells Luke. "I would never, Luke." 

"It's not like that," Luke says, "We-" 

"So now you're a  _we?!"_ Ashton's face is redder than Luke has ever seen it. He's spitting his word, completely beyond furious. "Must've lost my fucking invite to the wedding!" 

"Ashton," Liz says. 

"He's been fucking your seventeen year old son in your house!" Ashton yells at her, jabbing Michael with his middle finger. Michael doesn't move, but flinches. "My supposed best friend!" 

Luke flinches too. 

"God!" Ashton screams, "You are sick! This is - fucked. You're messed up." He shakes his head, circling the room. "Nah, get out." He stops in front of Michael, "Get out before I show you how much I fucking  _despise_  you." Michael doesn't move. "You are dead to me. Fucking dead. Get out!" Michael looks up at Luke with a flicker of the eyelids, and Ashton hits him, pushing him and making him stumble towards the door. "Don't fucking look at him! That's my fucking brother!"

He pushes Michael again, and Luke feels a whine-like noise leave his throat when Michael's hand slams against the wooden door loudly, Ashton beyond caring, continuing to push him into the door despite it only being half open. 

"Ashton," Luke says brokenly, "Stop. Ash-" it continues, "Ashton, stop!" 

Michael's on the floor at this point, and even Liz is shouting at him. 

"Stop!" Luke screams, as he goes to kick him in the ribs. He's closer to them, and he pulls Ashton back, crying properly. Ashton rips away from him and turns around. "Please stop, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's my fault- I'm sorry. Please stop." 

"You fucked my best friend! I blame nobody but the two of you!" 

"I'm sorry," Luke sobs. Calum and Louis are silently stood with Liz, gobsmacked. "I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say- I can't breathe- I'm-" his chest is tight, his lung not seeming to work properly other than the shortest breaths. Michael is stood against the door again, with red scratches on his face and eyes rimmed to match. Luke loses his brain to mouth filter, still crying and trying to get proper breaths, words choppy and panicked. 

He says it without thinking. 

"I love him, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." 

"Get the fuck out of my sight- both of you, get the fuck away from me," Ashton spits. "Go away!" Luke wants to apologise more, wants to explain it more, but he also can't stand being there - with Ashton's friends and his Mom watching as he has this god awful crying panic attack, so he scurries towards the door, past Michael without looking at him and upstairs. He hears Michael leave the house, but doesn't see it. He can't bare to look. 

He locks himself in his room, sat weeping against the door with his legs pulled up to his chest. He hears Ashton screaming downstairs, smashing things, hears Liz yelling back and kicking out Louis and Calum eventually. Hears Liz and Ashton continue to scream at each other until he puts his earphones in. The crying must've really taken it out of him, because he falls asleep listening to Paramore sat in that same position against the door. 

He wakes up several hours later, to someone banging against his head, and takes out an earphone to bang back on the door; let whoever it is know he's awake. 

"School, kiddo," James says, the door handle moving down slowly before Luke feels a slight pressure and see's it go back up again. "Breakfast is on the table." 

Luke says nothing, numb. His lips feel chapped. 

Footsteps walk away from the room. He picks himself up, goes over to look at his phone and see's one new notification from  _Team_   _Snapchat_. He knows Arzaylea would've text him by now to make sure he's awake, and it adds a little extra salt to his wounds. 

He presses the silencer on the phone, and slips it down the back of his dresser, hearing it thud against the floor. Then he gets back into bed. 

*

When he wakes up, the house is empty. He grabs his cigarettes from his desk and a lighter and walks downstairs feeling numb. There's a letter on the bottom step. Addressed to him. 

Luke knows who its from as soon as he sees the writing. 

"Now?" He whispers. "Are you serious?" 

He clutches the letter and goes into the kitchen, unlocking the back door and sitting against it, lighting the first cigarette before putting his thumb under the envelope, ripping it open. He pulls the paper out and see's his name written on top again, and a two page letter. He turns it over. 

_All my love, Darren._

There's a phone number underneath it again. He takes a shaky breathe and smokes. His hands shake, and he shoves the paper and envelope under the doormat, running upstairs and making a meal out of getting his phone. There are no notifications - no surprise. He sees the battery is only on 15%, and goes back down, lighting another cig and hovering over Michael's number in his contacts. It'll be lunch time at school. 

No answer. 

He takes a shaky breath, pulling the phone away from his ear. A stray tear falls down his cheek. He tries to phone Arzaylea next, and within two rings the line cuts. That does make him start to cry. He gets desperate, phones Brandon - hung up on, and then Leia. Leia answers, for all of three seconds, and all Luke hears is a scream, a laugh from someone he doesn't recognise, and then the call is dropped. He takes a shaky breath and puts the phone down, crying harder as he pulls the letter out from under the mat. 

_Luke,_

_I know we didn't have the best start in life, and I promise this is the last letter I will send if I don't get a response...._

He reaches for his phone again, pulling up his Mom's contact and trying to fix his breathing as he presses call. Straight to answer machine. Line busy. Luke throws the phone across the kitchen, screaming in frustration before bursting into tears. 

He grips the letter, throws the burnt out cigarette out, and slams the back door closed, tears blurring his vision as he goes to pick up his phone. The screen is smashed beyond recognition, but with shaky hands he pulls up the keypad, turns the letter over, and begins pressing in the numbers. Glass threatens to push into the pads of his fingers as he does. 

He looks at the number, wondering if he even typed it right, and shakily presses call, taking a long, deep breath. 

It rings four times, and then, "Hello?" Luke takes a shaky breath. "Hello? Anyone-" 

"It's Luke- I-I'm Luke. I got your letters." 

"Oh," The man lets out a soft sigh, "Um, hello Luke. I'm really glad you phoned, you know." 

Despite everything, Luke finds himself nodding through the tears, because he doesn't care who he has right now, but he needs someone to just be there. So he doesn't do something utterly stupid. He tells Darren as much in shaky words, not saying he's even nearly forgiving him, but just that he can't really cope right now, and he has nobody else to call. Darren seems to be glad that he's called anyway, and tries talking him through it. 

*

He spends the evening locked away in his room, not bothering going downstairs, but instead cradling his broken phone, sat on his laptop in bed. 

At midnight, he gets a text that startles him, since his phone hadn't gone off all day. He expected it to be dead. He has to squint to read it through the shattered glass.

 **MGC** : I spoke to Ashton today, properly, in school, and he was crying and I didn't really know what to do. This has really broken him. I can't do this to him. I remember how fucking angry I was when he kissed Emma, and how much I hated it and I can't even believe that I've let myself do that to him. I'm sorry. 

Luke throws the phone even harder, across the room so it bounces off a wall, and then he stands up, throws it around some more until it's in pieces and the screen is falling off and he couldn't read the words again even if he wanted to. 

"Fuck you," he cries, "Fuck you. Fuck you!" 

He bursts into tears, throwing the pieces of the phone, throwing things on his desk, trashing the entire room beyond recognition without a second thought. Despite his Mom, James, Ashton and Calum all being in the house, he isn't stopped. Not even when he's screaming and still smashing things up after forty minutes, and everything in the room is completely ruined. 

"Fuck you," he cries, sliding onto the floor amongst the mess when he finally has nothing left to break. Tears roll down his cheeks at an alarming rate, "Fuck everyone." 

Ashton sits silently at the kitchen table with Liz, James and Calum, feeling almost guilty about the ordeal; because he knows the exact text Luke got to make him into this mess. Ashton wrote it, after all.

*

The night before, Luke had piled the whole mess of the room against the door, meaning that when he wakes up and it's 11am, he isn't surprised that James and Liz didn't manage to get him in school. He has to fight to get through the stuff himself just so he can go and smoke. 

When he's finished, he grabs the house phone to take upstairs, and grabs the letter from Darren to type out his number. 

"Luke?" The man himself answers. "Changed your mind yet?" 

"Yes, actually," Luke breathes. 

"Oh. Oh, that's great! So we'll see you at the wedding tomorrow?" 

"Actually... could you pick me up today?" He asks. "I know it's a lot to ask, since we're just talking again and all... but I need to get away from this house. Please." 

"Of course," Darren says, "Of course, I'll be there in about two hours, okay? Do you have a suit?" 

"From prom, yeah, I'll bring it along. Thank you so much." 

"Anytime," Darren says, and then the call is ending. 

Luke doesn't know whether he's just done himself a huge favour or made an even bigger mistake, and honestly, he's beyond caring. 

He writes his Mom an inconsiderate, 'Gone away for a few days. Phone's fucked so you can't call. -Luke.' 

He doesn't feel great about it, but it goes with his not-giving-a-shit attitude. He almost hopes Ashton brings everyone home - Luke's own so-called friends included - so they see it first. He hopes Ashton and Michael have a really fucking  _great_  friendship too.

He gets the suit from upstairs, lays in on the couch so he won't forget it, and then goes about getting ready. If he cries in the shower for half an hour, that's his own business, anyway.   

The weekend goes by pretty fast, and he actually finds himself enjoying the wedding, dancing with people he doesn't know, actually introducing himself as Darren's son when he's had one free vodka too many, and playing with their son, Jamie, who's a little squishy ball of sunshine. He only cries at night when he's drunk and alone in a bed far too big for one person. 

He get's high with Darren on Sunday, and finds out that his tolerance for weed apparently came from his dad's side of the family - he's always wondered why he's handled it so well. It's strong stuff, and he ends up talking about Michael, and Ashton. 

Then, "Ashton's not my son," Luke blinks at him, startling. Darren shrugs, "You are, Ashton was another boy's - I just brought him up too because you were so close together. Your Mom had been with someone else just before we got together, and it was his. She was pregnant for a month before we even slept together." 

"What?" 

"It's true," he says, laughing. "Liz said if I raised one I had to raise both. Then she left me when you were six, obviously. I had to get my life together after that." 

"Shit," Luke says, high enough that he knows this won't really get to him until he's come down a bit. Darren laughs, and he finds himself laughing too - even though nothing about this is funny. It's so fucked up that he laughs anyway. 

Darren nudges his shoulder, and pulls out a little baggy. Luke thinks it's the weed at first, and he's about to decline because he can already feel that his entire body is beyond numb - so much so that he can hardly move. But instead it's a white powder, and Darren says, "This'll help you forget about that Michael asshole, if you want it. Consider it a gift to say sorry." 

Luke thinks drugs aren't really that much of a gift to compensate the past eleven years but if it'll help him forget then he's down. He grabs the table clumsily, and pours out probably three lines worth instead of one because of how shaky he is. Darren hands him a rolled up dollar, and Luke doesn't even bother putting it into a line, just snorts it up as it is, and then tucks the rest in his pocket. 

"I'll get..." he fades off, shaking his head as he stands up, high out of his face. Luke laughs, and so does he, and he feels like the white stuff hasn't made him forget anything at all, so he pours out an amount he can barely comprehend on the table, and gets the half-rolled dollar and snorts it again, feeling it really burn his nostril this time. He only gets a certain amount, because there's still some left on the table, so he tips forward to finish that bit off, and then falls back into the couch, trying to shove the baggy into his jeans pocket again. 

He forgets then, because within minutes, he's in and out of consciousness, everything is grey when he opens his eyes, and the noise in the room is completely deafening. 

He blacks out, wakes up in a car and groans, still off his face, feeling sicker than ever, like he can't even move his own body because of how heavy it is. His eyes burn. His nose burns. Everything is grey and blurred. 

He blacks out, wakes up against a hard surface, with a loud knocking on his head and a man shouting words before running away from him. Luke tries to look back, but can't move his neck. The door opens and a loud noise pierces his ear as he stumbles in, tripping over a step. He slams into another door, the handle going into his side, completely breaking off as he crashes through the doorway. He tries to grab hold of something, but it falls down too, and he lands on the floor face first, shaking and moaning. 

There's noise everywhere. He blacks out. 

He wakes up in blurry, disorientated intervals, and can barely recognise the people who look at him and try to yell things at him. He knows they find the white stuff, because he feels his pockets being emptied. He throws up a lot, drinks stuff that taste's disgusting, throws up some more. 

When he wakes up feeling like he can actually see again, he's on the sofa, half covered with a blanket and with multiple people asleep around him. He smells like a junkie, this whole room smells disgusting. He looks around, feeling his head pound and the disgusting taste at the back of his throat. The curtain pole is ripped down, the living room door is cracked and has no handles, and there's blood on the window sill. 

He sits up as slowly as he possibly can, crying slightly, moaning, feeling everything hit him all at once and a little like he has to throw up again. It's hard, but when he's stood up he manages to limp to the kitchen, pour a glass of cold water. 

"You could've died," a voice says, once he's drinking it. "You could have fucking died!" 

Michael is stood in the doorway, crying, red and blotchy and his t-shirt has got blood on it, same as the windowsill. 

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" 

"I don't know," Luke whispers, leaning onto the table purely because he can't hold himself up in this state, "I'm sorry." 

"You're sorry." Michael says, properly crying. "Sorry makes it all better, Luke, it really does. Sorry makes it so fucking better when I had to shove my fingers down your throat,  _praying_  you'd throw up so I wouldn't have to take you to hospital and get you arrested for possession and use of god-knows-what. Sorry makes watching you spasm and scream in pain all better. Sorry fucking fixes everything!" 

"I'm sorry," Luke says, almost crying himself. "I don't... I didn't..." 

"Do you even know what this is?!" Michael screams, holding up the little baggie of white powder that's barely got anything left in it. Luke shakes his head. "It's cocaine that's been - look at this, fucking look," he holds it right up to Luke's eyes, squeezing the powder. It's too close for Luke to even see. "It's been laced with fucking ecstasy and God knows what else! Fuck, Luke! On top of weed?! Are you fucking stupid?!" 

"I don't know what you want me to say," Luke whispers. 

"You could have  _fucking_  died! Look at me," Luke does, crying, "I'm still shaking, your Mom was in tears, Ashton was in tears. Nobody knew what was happening. You looked fucking vile, you threw up everywhere and at one point you were pretty fucking close to a seizure." Luke just lays his head on the table, "Who gave you this shit? Cause it sure as hell wasn't Brandon." Luke shrugs, "You better tell me who the fuck gave you this." 

"You broke up with me over text," Luke says. 

Michael is lost for words for a few seconds. 

"He told me it'd make me forget." 

"You can't remember anything when you're dead," Michael spits. 

"Ashton hates me, my friends took his side -  _my_  friends - you even took his side. God, I said I  _love_  you and you took his side. Mom and James don't give a fuck about any of it, the only person who'll just fucking be there for me is someone I don't even want in my life." 

Luke doesn't look up throughout saying it all, but Michael slams his hand against the table, face completely overtaken by anger. 

"That fucking  _prick_ , you called him." He accuses. "He gave you this shit," he holds up the bag again, and then turns and walks through to the living room, storming through. 

Luke follows him despite every inch of pain coursing through his body. Everyone is awake in the living room now, sat silently. Some of Luke's friend, some of Ash's - Liz and James are completely distraught. 

"I didn't call him," Luke says desperately, fighting the urge to throw up the words, "Don't call him." 

Michael turns around, so overtaken by anger it doesn't even look like him anymore, "Look at this shit, Luke, actually fucking look at it!" He throws the bag at him, and it lands on the floor in front of him, "How fucked must you have been to accept that? Fucking pick it up!" He does, face twisting in pain, "A forty-year-old man who should  _fucking_  know better gave you that when you were already fucked on weed and god knows what else knowing damn well it was laced with  _ecstasy_ -" he storms back to Luke, ripping the bag from his hand and opening it, picking something out before putting it in his palm, holding it out so he looks at it. "It's not even crushed up properly," Michael deadpans as they both stare at the little piece of pill. "You're no angel, you know what this shit is."

Luke says nothing, crying. 

"I'll fucking call him, shall I," Michael spits, already walking to the stairs. Luke has to throw up, he wants to stop him but he has to, so he runs to the kitchen and does just that, feeling the burn in his throat and the pounding in his head. Despite the amount of people who can hear him in the living room, only James comes in to rub his back. He doesn't say anything though, and Luke just cries as he continues to be sick. 

Michael storms back in five minutes later and James walks back into the living room without another word. There's a clatter, and when Luke glances up from the sink he see's that Michael is holding a red bucket, and before he has time to ask anything, he's being pulled by his shirt back into the living room. 

"We're going to his house," Michael says, "You're going to tell me his address," he continues, throwing the bucket down before tossing a pair of shoes at him. Luke looks at them, still crying, burning and feeling the sick at the back of his throat. He looks up at Michael, pleading with him, begging with his eyes. "I am beyond livid, Luke. I am beyond fucking  _livid_ , and not one person in this house except me can look you in the eye right now - it's fucking difficult, even for me. Nobody knows who gave you that but me, so put on your fucking shoes before I'm forced to get the address from someone else." 

Luke shakes his head, dropping it and heaving, but throwing up nothing. 

"Should've just let me die," he says quietly. A woman - his Mom, probably - sobs. "Why the fuck do you care?" He still can't lift his head, but it's obvious the words are directed to Michael. "It's fine." 

"It's fine," Michael repeats, "It's fine is worse than I'm sorry, it's fine is actually pretty fucking insulting, to be honest. In what world is any of this okay? There's cocaine on the floor - blood from the back of your head on the fucking window - how is any of this fine? You're better than this." 

Luke looks up at that, pale as anything, "Because you know me so well." 

Hurts flashes through his eyes, and Luke feels bad instantly, squeezing his own eyes closed. His head drops back down.

"Put on your shoes." 

"I call bluff on your bullshit blackmail," Luke rasps, "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"He dragged you out of the backseat of his car with froth coming out of your mouth," Michael says slowly, "Up those fucking steps. He propped you against the door knowing you'd fall into the house as soon as it opened, he knocked and then he fucking ran and left you there. Couldn't drive away fast enough." It's malicious and cold, and flashing memories flood into Luke's head of that exact scenario, giving him a more piercing headache. "If nobody was home you would've been dead within the hour." It's his Mom, sobbing. "If I wasn't here you would've been released from hospital straight into jail." 

He crowds Luke's personal space, hovering over Luke's bent form, meeting his eye. If Luke didn't know better, he'd think Michael had a kill streak running through his iris', threatening anybody who could get in his way right now. "Put on your shoes," he whispers, "And get in the car before I tell everybody here who we're talking about, and I knock out your fucking teeth instead of his." 

Luke shakes his head. 

"He doesn't give a fuck, Luke. He was going to let you die. Everybody who actually cares about you is in this room right now - we're the one's who stayed up all night praying you wouldn't have another fucking spasm fit, or choke on your own sick. He's never given a fuck before, and he obviously still doesn't now." 

"I don't wanna go with you," Luke cries. "I don't wanna fucking go. Let it go! I get it!" Michael startles. "I'm fucked up, I get it, okay?! Just stop, please. I'm sorry." 

"Sorry doesn't fix it!" 

"And beating the shit out of the guy who gave to me it does?!" Luke yells back, not sounding like himself at all because of how wrecked his throat is. "I smoked too much and I was sad and I just wanted to feel fucking  _nothing_  for once in my life, and I did a stupid amount of something I shouldn't have and I feel fucking terrible, okay? I feel bad, I'm sorry!"

"I'm not fucking mad that you do drugs, Luke!" Michael screams. People look a little shocked at that, but Luke tries to avoid meeting anyone's eyes. "I'm mad because you're so much fucking smarter than whatever the fuck that was that he gave you! I'm mad because  _everyone_  knows coke is cut with some dodgy shit and mixing it with anything is fucking fatal - I'm mad that he gave it to you in the first place as an adult who is twice your age, and I want his address right now," he seethes. 

"Go with him, Luke," Arzaylea whispers. 

Luke turns to her in disbelief, blinking at her. He looks back at Michael, who's glaring at him, waiting, and feels tears fill his eyes again. 

"I'm sorry," is all he can say. "I'm not letting you drive over there and do whatever it is you wanna do. For your sake. Thank you for taking care of me." He walks to the living room door and knows Michael is stomping after him. He gets up the stairs and to the landing, walking to his room. He has to force open the door, since there's still broken shit everywhere. Someone's obviously been here looking through everything. 

Michael pulls him back out gently, and Luke's stomach turns. 

"Please give me his address, I'll drive myself crazy-" 

"So you can do what?" Luke asks, "For who, Mike? You ended it with me, remember? Go be Ashton's  _best_  fucking friend - be his boyfriend! Stop pretending you give a single fuck about me when all you need is Ashton's  _great_  friendship-"

Everyone downstairs can still here the yelling, completely silent. Ashton sits guiltily in the living room, feeling completely awful. Liz is still crying. 

"I ended it to make Ashton happy!" Michael screams back at him. "It doesn't mean I don't fucking love you!"

Luke startles. He's still shaking and doesn't know whether he's crying or not now but Michael definitely is. It's all far too much - far too complicated. Luke can't even appreciate the words in the context. 

"Is this what this is? Did you do this to - like - hurt me back, or something?" He asks, sniffling. "Because it fucking hurts, Luke. I had the worst night of my life last night." 

"No," Luke replies quietly, whiny, "I don't know why. I was just - I was sad-" 

"Because of me?" 

"Because of everything... Fuck Mike,  _my_  friends are now  _Ashton's_  friends because of this," he clicks his fingers, "Just like that. No second thought. Nobody even asked me about it - not even my fucking Mom! My so-called-friends are sat downstairs latching onto my brother when I have done  _nothing_  to them - my own brother will forgive you but he won't even look at me?! What did anyone expect? I just wanted out of my head for a while," he whispers, leaning against the wall, "That's it. I didn't try to overdose, I don't want to die. I just want a break."

Michael nods, "You scared the shit out of me," he whispers, after. 

"I'm sorry." 

" _Never_  do that again," Michael whispers again, leaning his head against the wall that Luke is against, sighing. "I was hysteric. Please don't do that again." 

Luke turns to him, frowning, "It was an accident. It won't ever happen again." He holds out his little finger, "Pinky swear?" 

Michael shakes his head but smiles, holding out his own pinky and linking the two together. Luke half smiles at him. Michael just tips forward to kiss his forehead, lingering before he pulls away. He turns around, probably to walk back downstairs, but Luke grabs his wrist, making him turn back around. It's not difficult - Michael stumbles a little into him, even. 

Luke leans forward, like he's asking for a kiss.  

However, instead of that and ignoring Michael's 'deer caught in headlights' expression, he just says, "I love you, I'm serious. I have terrible timing and all, but I really love you." 

"I know," he replies, "I love you too." 

He goes to walk away again, but Luke pulls him back, and just as he smiles and opens his mouth - probably demanding an explanation - Luke kisses him. Properly. With tongue and too much lip and grabby hands, and Michael doesn't even hesitate to kiss back. He knocks his head against the wall and his mouth is probably disgusting from the hangover, but Michael kisses him like he really means it. Like it's their last ever. Maybe it is. 

*

The next day Luke is called down for breakfast and is told that he'll be going to school that day. Apparently he's been very, very ill these past few days, hence the days of school missed last week. That's the lie Liz supplies him with anyway. 

As they sit at the breakfast table in silence, Luke looks at Ashton and decides never to bring up what Darren mentioned. That way it can never be true - maybe its not anyway, maybe he is just that much of an asshole. It'll be his (maybe a bit Michael's) secret that he even had that brief contact with Darren. He highly doubts it'll ever happen again. 

"No more drugs," Liz says suddenly, quietly, "Both of you. No more parties when and if we go away." Ashton, to Luke's surprise, nods. "No more smoking," she looks at Luke. "I'll get you patches if you need them - just. No more. Please, no more." 

"Okay," Luke agrees, Ashton nodding too. "I don't need patches." 

"Can I have them now?" She holds out her hand like she knows he has a pack with him - and Luke does, of course, so he guiltily reaches into his pocket and pulls them out, softly placing them in her hand. "Thank you," she sighs. "No more drinking for a few weeks, either. As a family. We'll all do it - like a detox." 

Luke knows it's her method of coping, and Ashton and James must realise too, because they both agree instantly, along with Luke - because of course, this whole thing is to let  _his_  body detox. Liz just wants him to feel supported. 

"Are you ready for school?" Liz asks. Luke looks down at himself, wearing an old shirt and pajama pants. He's not even brushed his teeth. She seems to realise this, "I'll drive you. Go get ready." 

"Oh, um- Michael's picking him up," Ashton says, pushing scrambled egg around his plate with a fork. "He asked me to tell you since you broke your phone." 

"And you're okay with that?" Luke asks, in shock, mostly. 

"He didn't really give me an option," Ashton mumbles, "But who cares, he's getting Lou to pick me and Calum up anyway." 

"Well," Liz deflects, before anything else can be said on the subject, "Better get ready then sweetheart," she says, standing up and taking his plate before kissing his hair, "I love you. Text me how you get on throughout the day from somebodies phone - I'll pick you a new one up tonight." 

He accepts that she'll be a little overbearing for the next few days, and nods, leaving the kitchen to go and get in the shower. It's not often he gets to be the first one in the bathroom. Michael pulls up half an hour later, when he's dressed in black skinny jeans and a less-black band shirt. His hair is left natural, still slightly wet, and his school bag contains probably less than half the books he needs. 

He gets kissed on the forehead before he leaves by Liz, and she watches as he walks down to the car and gets in, and doesn't go back into the house until Michael has pulled away. 

"You look good," he opens with, as he turns the car around in their neighbours drive and Luke puts on his seatbelt. "Ashton blackmailed me - he wanted to tell you himself, but I think he feels guilty about the other night." 

"He blackmailed you?" 

"To send the text," Michael clarifies, and then, "I cheated on a big test this year. I was exhausted and working too much and I needed it to keep my GPA and I had no other choice, really. So Ash helped me cheat, and he- used that to his own advantage, I guess." He continues to drive, and Luke nods in silence. "Any words or..?" 

Luke smiles slightly, facing him, "What about you? What's your side?" 

He looks confused, "The- the blackmail? What?"

"You stayed friends with him?" 

"He has his faults, sure, but usually his heart is in the right place. I didn't really know what other options I had." 

Luke nods, "And the text - is that the sole reason you sent it?" 

Michael smiles bashfully, "I didn't even write it."

"So why are you telling me this?" 

"He wanted me to tell you," he says, "Blames himself for everything."   

"Okay," Luke says. 

"Okay?" 

"What else can I say?" He sighs. There's a pause in which they just drive, and Luke comes out with it, far too comfortable with Michael after everything, "Darren told me the reason he only wrote to me." Michael is turning, focusing, so Luke continues, "Ashton is apparently somebody else's - my half brother, or something." 

"That's insane," Michael frowns, "Is that even true?" 

"I don't know, nor do I want to. That's their business, now. I don't even want them to know I saw him - God, I went to his fucking wedding." Luke groans. "Dickhead." Michael reaches over and softly touches his hand, until Luke extends his fingers, and lets Michael lace his own through, putting them on the gearstick. He squeezes softly, a silent consolidation. "Thank you." 

It's silent for the rest of the ride, but they still hold hands the whole way there. 

Luke is gutted when they pull in the car park and he has to let go so Michael can focus on not running people over (not that Luke would mind, at this point in his academic life). It's already packed, so he pulls into the first space that's free - next to Arzaylea's car, of course, whilst she, Brandon, Leia and Zayn are all leaning against it, laughing. 

"You think you'll speak to them again?" Michael asks, as he reverses in slowly. 

"No," Luke says simply. "No, I - uh, I'm not too fond on the idea. They just cut me off, so... I don't know, I'm good without them for now." 

"Good," Michael says. "You deserve better." 

He kills the ignition, and smiles at him. Luke bites his lip and smiles back. They get out of the car, and Luke notices they look over with smiles as they do - which quickly dip when Luke is with Michael, and not Ashton. 

"Hey," Leia grins at Michael. He smiles at her, nodding his head and locks the car. Luke walks to the front, and without acknowledging any of the others, Michael walks by his side, leading him to the steps at the front of the school. 

Luke rubs the back of his neck, blushing, "You walking me to class or something?" 

"We attend the same school, Luke. And I don't like those guys - Ashton and Calum do. I'd rather be with you right now," he snorts. "That okay or am I crossing some boundary I never knew you had?" 

"Fuck off," Luke breathes in a laugh, bumping into his shoulder. Michael's hand slides down his arms, and he looks away from him as he smiles, knocking into him purposefully again. Michael walks him all the way to class but insists his own class is that way as he does - despite Luke knowing damn well he has music at the other side of the school. 

Classes go as well as they can when you aren't speaking to anyone in your friendship group. It doesn't bother him as much as it should, and he finds himself concentrating more in lessons, getting along with teachers, and doing the work he's given. His English teacher asks him to stay behind after class and calls it a 'fucking miracle' and Luke laughs and promises to read the book they're currently studying. 

He walks to lunch alone, and gets in line to buy a sandwich before he ventures out for a walk in the sun. Alex stands behind him, nudges him. 

"Turner," Luke says, nudging him back. 

"Hey- uh, look, we have our differences, right?" Luke frowns, turning around and raising an eyebrow. Alex frowns back, "Brandon told me about the state you were in yesterday-" Luke's eyes widen, and Alex holds his hands up in defence, "I'm not telling you this to be shitty, Lu, I don't think that's cool. You do shit like that, that's your business. Same with what he's told me about you and Michael Clifford. It's not cool that he told me. I just thought you should know." 

"Thank you," Luke says, dumbly. "Really. Thank you. I appreciate that." 

Alex nods at him, and Luke leaves the line, going straight for the big table he can see Brandon sat at - with, of course, Ashton, Michael and all of their friends. Even Joanna is there, sat next to Arzaylea. 

Ashton see's him coming, raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. 

Luke goes to Brandon, stands between him and Calum. The whole table has gone silent, but Luke is beyond caring, "So now you're going out of your way to piss me off?" 

"I'm sorry?" Brandon asks. Alex walks past at that moment, nods at Luke and gives Brandon a fake pout, wiping a fake tear away. "You told him I told you?!" 

Alex laughs, "Get your loyalties straight mate, I get on with Luke when we're not kicking the shit into each other - he's sound as fuck." Then, before he turns to walk away, "Frankly I just think you're a  _cunt_ , though." 

Brandon looks back to Luke, who's stone cold at this point. 

Luke just shakes his head. 

"What's he done?" Michael asks, frowning at him. Brandon rolls his eyes. 

"Nothing," Brandon says. 

"Told Alex about yesterday, and more," Luke mumbles. Ashton, who's sat next to Michael, hears and looks to Brandon in disbelief. 

"Why would you do that?" Ashton asks.

"What's your problem? You spent all of this morning texting the group chat how much you hate him. Wish he wasn't born." Brandon laughs. Luke just blinks, feeling tears come to his eyes. He spins around and walks away from the table, hears Michael cursing them out as he does. 

He speed walks far enough that when Michael catches up to him he's already near the front of the school, ready to walk down the steps and leave, crying. He's pulled into a hug and sinks into it. 

"Dunno what this groupchat is," Michael whispers, "But I can guarantee that whatever Ashton has said in it he doesn't mean. He says stuff like that about  _Liz_  in heat of the moment - it's his temper, just like yours. I promise." 

"When did my life get this shitty?" 

"When we started dating, I think," Michael replies quietly. 

"No - when everyone found out. It's so stupid." Luke moans, wiping his eyes and leaning his head on Michael's shoulder. In the back of his mind he knew the Ashton thing would've been easily resolved. He's said similar things, but it hurts coming from his own  _friends_  - on top of what they're already doing. "When we started dating was actually good. Really good." 

"Aww," Michael coos, pinching his cheek, "You're just saying that cause of the constant sex." 

Luke smiles, hums, "You're just saying that to take my mind off everything that's just happened. Make me think about sex instead. Is that what you think of me? Mention sex and he'll be fine?" He grins, so Michael knows he's joking. 

Michael gets closer to him, smirking, and puts a hand on the small of his back as he leans into his ear to whisper, "Is it working though?" 

"No," Luke breathes. 

He's pushed back gently into the wall, his space crowded into, "Not even a little bit?" Luke shakes his head, but leans up and kisses the side of his mouth. Michael looks to the side of them, at the closed school doors, and then kisses him gently on the mouth. Luke smiles into it, drapes his arms around Michael's shoulders. 

"You wanna skip?" Michael whispers, "I'll take you out somewhere." 

Luke kisses him again, briefly and suggestively adds, "Or you could just take me back to mine." 

"Still claiming the sex thing didn't work?" Michael grins. 

Luke rolls his eyes, "Do you wanna fuck me or stand here and say things like that? Your choice." 

Michael steps away from him, "Can I phone a friend to help me decide?" Luke's eyes roll back into his head, and he starts walking down the steps. Michael follows closely, and reaches for his hand. Luke lets him thread their fingers together, and smiles wide when Michael pulls their bodies together, kissing the side of his face. "I'm gonna fuck you," he whispers into Luke's cheek, "I've decided." 

"I've decided that you're an idiot," Luke replies. 

Michael opens his car door for him, and keeps his hand on Luke's thigh the whole drive, and when they get back to the house, his hands won't stop shaking because Michael won't stop fucking touching him and he drops his keys  _twice_  trying to unlock the front door. It's animalistic, more than romantic. As soon as the two of them are in Luke's room and the door is closed it doesn't matter how ridiculous they look as they throw off their own clothes; as long as they get naked as quickly as possible. He's pushed on the bed with only one sock left on and he doesn't care, because there's a naked body holding him down, kissing every inch of him. 

It's possibly the best sex he's ever had.

Michael even takes him out for a little date afterwards, and then drops him home before he goes to work. 

*

The next day Aleisha walks over to him in the hall as he getting books out of his locker. Luke glances at her and looks back to the locker, trying to block her out. 

"You fucked Michael Clifford?" She muses, a laugh in her voice. "Ashton's best friend Michael Clifford - with the red hair? Genuinely?" 

"Go away," he sighs. 

"I wondered why nobody was speaking to you," she snorts. "So you're actually gay then? With him?" 

Luke slams the locker closed, "Fuck. Off." 

She recoils and walks back over to her friends, and Luke shakes his head as he walks to his first class of the day, listening to music through his earphones. It's a long day, and by the time the final bell rings he's glad to be out of there. He's one of the first out of class and makes a quick stop at his locker before walking to the front of the school with the rest of the students. 

"Hemmings!" He hears yelled as soon as he's out. He looks to the carpark. Aleisha is stood with college asshole and the same two friends he's always with. Luke see's Michael, Ashton, Calum and their big group almost half the length of the car park away from them, talking - haven't even noticed him. "Heard your friends have fucked you off cause you fucked someone you shouldn't have," he teases, as Luke is walking past. "Stop." 

Luke doesn't, and of course, he's pulled back by his shirt. 

"When I say stop, you stop." 

"Fuck off," Luke mumbles, bored of him already. 

"Walk away from me again, I dare you." Luke rolls his eyes, tries to pull away from the hand on his shirt that's a tad too tight. Aleisha isn't meeting his eye. "Tell her to fuck off again, if you want. Make her cry. Give me a reason." 

"To what? Hit me - because you've never done that before. You're a loser, go get your fucking degree if you haven't dropped out already and stay away from high schools you pervert." 

Luke finally pulls out of his hold and sticks his finger up as he turns around to walk away. He's never heard the noise in real life, only in movies, and for a second he thinks it must be something else. But no. He turns around, and college asshole has a handgun in his hand, and he's just taken the safety off. 

A girl is already screaming that there's a gun, meaning students start running back into the school, into their cars, hiding away. 

Luke holds his breath, puts his hands near his shoulders like he's surrendering. 

"Dude, it's a joke," he says, sweating already. "Chill out a bit, there's no need for that." 

"Don't let me to chill out you preppy little fucking  _kid_ ," he snarls, stepping closer. Luke's thighs press against the bonnet of a car. "Your attitude is gonna get you killed." 

Luke swallows. "Alright, okay, I'm sorry, alright?" 

He has no idea what exactly he's sorry for, but if it keeps him breathing he's definitely sorry. Beyond sorry. The gun is shaking in his hand. Luke doesn't even know what that means - he has no knowledge of guns - is against the things completely, really. For this reason. 

"Are you?" He snarls, "Are you really?" 

He strides closer, extending the arm with the gun, pointing right between his eyes until a body stands in front of his and his arms are pulled around a waist, held onto. He looks up - it's Michael. Of course it's Michael, holding Luke against him so he can't move to get back in front. Luke squeezes him, kissing between the blades of his back and breathing so heavily it hurts his chest. 

"The fuck are you?! I have a fucking gun mate, are you thick?!" 

"You're on school property, about to shoot a seventeen year old. You've scared hundreds of kids - you've scared Luke. Nobody needs to get shot. He gets the message." 

"The  _message_  is a fucking bullet, and if you don't move, you'll get it." Luke tries to pull away, push him, do anything - but Michael holds his arms tighter, makes sure Luke is pressed right up against his back no matter how much he squirms. "A seventeen year old shouldn't have a fucking attitude like that - he disrespected me, my girlfriend - maybe it'll teach him something. Move." 

Luke can't stop shaking. He can hardly breathe. 

There are sirens coming towards them. Teachers are against the windows of the school - it's obviously been locked down. He can't even talk. Every muscle in his body is frozen, and he wonders whether Michael is holding him tighter or whether he's just squeezing his arms around him. 

"You should put down the gun before the police get here," Michael suggests. "We can talk about it, that's fine. Just put down the gun." 

The guy laughs. Luke can't stop shaking. He feels one of Michael's hands slide over his own, covering it and enveloping it, stopping the shaking. Luke closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, head still resting against Michael's back. 

Three police cars pull in at once, four cops jumping out of each and crouching behind cars, pointing guns back at him. Luke watches the one's that he can, but he can't see the one that talks, telling him to drop the weapon. Explaining how long even clipping one of the school kids with a bullet would get him in jail time. 

He hears the safety click back into place, and Michael subtly slides sliding him along the car, away from the guy. The gun drops to the floor, and he's vocal as he's tackled, but Luke doesn't see any of it, because Michael starts shoving him towards a cop who then grabs them both and starts running with them, further away from the school. 

When they're far enough away, they're shown to an ambulance, where two paramedics and two police offers are waiting for them. 

"You both okay?" 

"Are you okay?" Luke asks Michael frantically, who nods and strokes his shoulder briefly. Luke leans into it and Michael wraps his arm around him, letting Luke cuddle into him properly. 

"We've arrested him a few times," one of the officers says, gesturing for them to sit on the bed in the ambulance anyway. The other pours out plastic cups filled with water. "Can you tell me what happened? In your own words." 

Michael looks to Luke, who shakily says, "He had a gun." The officer nods like that's not completely fucking obvious. "A few weeks ago he thought I was flirting with his girlfriend-" 

"Her name please?" 

"Aleisha Davies," Luke says, before continuing, "We were at a party, and he and his friends followed me home. Beat me up because of it." 

"Did you report that?" 

"No," Luke says, feeling a little stupid. 

"Um, a few days after that he came to the school to pick up Aleisha and tried to pick a fight again. Michael - uh - talked sense into him." 

The cop, the one speaking instead of writing it all down like the other, nods slowly. "You're Michael?" He asks. Michael nods. "Was there a fight between you and this guy at all?" 

"I hit him, once," Michael shrugs, "When he followed Luke home that time. One guy was holding him down and he was hitting, so I - yeah." 

He nods and makes sure his partner is writing it all down. He hands them the water silently, and Luke drinks his in one. Michael looks at him, smiles slightly in amusement, and then hands his own plastic cup over. Luke drinks that too. 

The cop raises an eyebrow, "You guys related? Best friends?" 

Luke's eyes widen. 

"Does that matter?" Michael asks defensively, "Somebody just tried to shoot him." 

The cop looks surprised, and shakes his head, "No, I'm sorry, that was unprofessional of me. Well he's on his way to the station now and we'll take his statement, lock him up while we do the paperwork and things. Is it alright if I take your full names and addresses for more statements in a few days?" They read them off one after another. "Aleisha Davies - does she attend this school?" 

"Yes," Luke whispers, "She's in some of my classes." 

"Okay," he writes something down himself and then smiles at them, "Well our paramedics are just going to give you a quick check over, just in case, and then we'll take you both home, if you'd like?" 

"If I'm okay to drive, can I like - take him? If that's okay?" Michael asks. 

The cop smiles, "Yes, of course." 

Luke's heart rate turns out to be extremely high - which is completely fine considering the circumstances, apparently, and they're walked to Michael's car by the officers. As soon as Luke sits in the car he grips Michael's hand before he can even put it on the gear stick, looping their fingers together. 

"Can you come over?" 

"Yeah," Michael says immediately. Luke notices that his hands are shaking a little, "Yeah, of course." 

"You stood in front of me," Luke says as they pull out of the space. There's no school traffic - the school is still locked down with most people who weren't already in a car inside. "What if he'd have shot?" 

"Then I would've been shot," Michael says quietly. "I've just completed my psych training. I'm trained to stay calm in those situations; most people who work in emergency services and medical care are." 

"Nobody can stay calm like that." 

"I can when there's a gun pointed at you, Luke." 

His hand is still shaking but Luke doesn't mention it. He just squeezes it and makes sure he can still change gears when he needs to. 

Nothing else is said on the drive, but Michael doesn't stop shaking the entire way. He parks the car right in front of the house, and holds Luke hand up the stairs and as soon as they're in the house it seems like a silent agreement that they just go straight to bed together. They both take off their shoes in the hallway in silence, and Luke leads Michael up the stairs and strips down to his boxers before climbing into bed. 

As soon as Michael gets in he rolls over and drapes over him, clutching him and kissing his naked shoulder. 

"Are you traumatised?" Luke whispers. 

"No," there's a laugh in his voice, "No, I don't think so." 

"Good," Luke whispers again, "Am I more trouble than I'm worth?" 

"Definitely not." Michael says, hugging him closer, sliding down the bed and turning towards him a little. "I don't think you're trouble at all. I think you just attract it." 

"Maybe," Luke says. "I can't believe you did that." 

"Don't start," Michael smiles. 

"You stood in between me and a gun, Michael," he whispers. "Who does that?" 

"Me, apparently." 

Luke kisses his shoulder, "I love you. Really. So much. In love with you." 

"I'm in love with you, really, so much, too," Michael whispers, leaning in to give him a chaste kiss before resting his head again. "One might even say I'd take a bullet for you." Luke shakes his head. "Too soon?" 

They end up falling asleep. 

*

His Mom freaks out, Ashton barely says anything, and they manage to get the rest of week off school because of it - the school completely closes down for three days. Luke and Michael make more statements the next day, and the guy gets jail time - it won't be decided for months how long, but he definitely gets it - the cops confirmed it after the interview. Purely for carrying a weapon he didn't own on school property. Aleisha even has to do 100 hours community service for enabling, and she's no longer allowed to take any of the classes Luke is in. 

Luke spends all of the three days at Michael's house, meeting his Mom and spending time with Jocelyn. His Mom knows far too much about him already, which secretly makes Luke happy. On Friday morning, Luke wakes up early and rolls over to look if his phone has charged - it's the new one his Mom bought. He's still installing everything. 

On a whim he downloads snapchat, after checking his general messages. He and Michael used to message on snapchat all the time. 

There a quite a few on there, but the top one - from Ashton - has a purple square accompanying it. It's a video from Monday - which is weird, considering Ashton hasn't really spoken to him in over a week, and he's stopped speaking to Michael again completely. He turns the sound on and opens it, seeing darkness as the video buffers. When it starts a bright light flashes, obviously from the phone, and moaning is heard. 

It's Arzaylea. 

It's a video of Ashton fucking Arzaylea. On his bed. On Monday. 

Luke heaves.

There's a caption that reads  _'I love her, I'm sorry.'_ Luke feels that punch right to the gut. 

 The video ends after about fifteen seconds, and he holds it down to replay it. He goes to the app store before he does, buys a screen recorder and opens it again while his phone records it. He crops the video with half closed eyes, and finds himself heaving throughout. When he presses save he has to go to the bathroom to throw up. 

Michael must hear him, because a hand begins stroking his hair as he's heaving, nothing left in his stomach, and in a morning voice, he asks, "You feeling ill? Shall I get some tablets?" 

Luke unlocks his phone, the video still there, waiting to be played, and hands it to him. 

He hears it again, and heaves. 

"Oh my God," Michael says, "Is that your b- oh my  _God_ , that's disgusting. That's disgusting. Oh fuck, I'm glad we had a light dinner." 

"God, I feel ill," Luke says. Michael strokes his hair. "Can you drive me up there?" 

"Is that a good idea?" He asks gently. 

"I need to burn my - fuck,  _ew_." His eyes scrunch. 

"Okay, I'll get dressed." He kisses the top of Luke's head and leaves the room. Luke flushes the toilet, images in his head that he seriously doesn't need. He brushes his teeth and gets dressed, lets Michael drive him to the house and when they both walk in the noise in the living room dies. 

"Hi, honey," Liz says, sat on the love seat with a cup of tea. James must be at work. Ashton, Arzaylea, Calum, Brandon, Leia, Zayn, Louis  _and_  Harry are all there. Lovely. 

Michael stands against the radiator. 

"Hello, sweetheart," Liz greets him. He smiles at her a little awkwardly. She raises an eyebrow but says nothing, and then looks to Luke, who is fiddling with the TV without shame, plugging his phone into a wire. Michael hasn't really felt comfortable here since he and Ashton stopped speaking yet again, and the whole group have ousted the two. 

"No," Michael says quietly. "You're not." 

"I am," Luke says. "Alexa, lock the TV to Luke's iPhone." 

'TV is locked to Luke's iPhone.'

No buttons work. The remote doesn't work. Luke casually opens his snapchat and gets straight on his camera roll, goes to the black screen video at the top and clicks on it. He doesn't even hesitate, he presses that he wants to edit, turns the volume up all the way, and then it plays. On a loop. Over, and over, and over. 

"Oh my God," Michael says, but when Luke looks over he's smirking behind his hand, looking between the video and Ashton and Arzaylea, both of whom are distraught. Liz can't even talk, her mouth is dropped open and she's as red as anything; Luke doesn't particularly know how to gauge the reaction. 

He silently goes over to Michael, slips the phone out of his pocket and walks back to stand next to the TV. He unlocks it with the password, does a quick google search and reads, "Sexting is generally legal if - and I'm skipping some good parts - images or videos are sent with consent and knowledge; however,  _any_  - this is the interesting part - type of sexual messages that both parties have not consented to can constitute  _sexual_   _harassment_." 

The room is filled with moaning, the TV still playing the clip on loop. Nobody says anything. 

"Not only are you considered sexually harassing me - get this-" he smiles, fake as anything, at Ashton. "Regardless of one's consent to sending and receiving sexual photos or videos, it is unlawful to produce-" Luke gestures to the TV, acts like he's surprised, " _possess_  - so trust me this will be deleted as soon as it's off the TV -  or  _distribute_  explicit sexual content of anyone under the age of eighteen." 

Liz stands ups.

"You have sent me child  _fucking_  pornography, Ashton - for a start! You had sex in my  _bed!_ I've slept in that bed!"

"Ash," Liz sighs, "Right. No more friends in the house. That's it. Ashton, you're grounded." 

"I'm eighteen," Ashton says. "You can't ground me." 

She kneels to him, "Your brother is right, you have distributed child pornography without consent because Arzaylea is seventeen. I am ashamed and appalled and quite frankly I'm beginning to think I've given you both too much freedom all together. At this age you should both know better." She stands up. "You know Luke is going through a hard time." 

Ashton scoffs, "He  _chose_  to do a shit ton of cocaine, Mom." 

"I had a gun pointed at my face three days ago, you complete asshole - where were you, huh? Hiding at school?"

"I'd do the same fucking thing if I was that guy, to be honest!" 

"Ashton," Liz scolds. "That's your brother." 

"He's not a very fucking good one." 

Luke feels his blood boil. He pulls his phone from the TV, the screen going black so the video finally stops looping. Ashton laughs at him. 

Luke raises an eyebrow, "It's because I'm not actually your brother." 

"Luke," Michael warns, voice low. 

Luke looks to him, and he's shaking his head, warning him against the frankly terrible idea. Luke takes a deep breath and blinks, grabbing Michael's phone from the worktop too. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ashton asks. 

"It means I want nothing to fucking do with you. Get your friends out of the house; they're not allowed to be here anymore," Luke says. Ashton does nothing. Luke looks to Liz, "Am I wrong?" 

She gives Ashton a look. 

"Right, fine!" He stands up, "All of you get out." He looks at Michael, "Including you." 

Luke looks to Liz - she seems to have no idea what to say about that. Everyone is waiting for the next move. 

Luke shrugs at her, begging with his eyes, "I refuse to sleep in that bed anyway." 

"I'll sort out your bed, love, Michael can stay." 

"You are fucking kidding me," Ashton says, "Mom, seriously." 

"I gave Luke rules; no smoking, no drugs, no parties. He's kept to them since they were given, he gets to have Michael over. When you've shown me you can be an adult, who is respectful of both family and women, you'll gain back rights too. Earn back my trust," she deadpans, "Until then, all of your friends are banned from the house. So off you all go. Sorry." 

Wide eyed, they all stumble to leave as quickly as possible, the door slamming after the last one is out of the door. 

"This is bullshit," he spits, leaning back into the couch. "Acting like Luke is golden child when on Sunday he almost fuckin' died on cocaine." 

Luke shakes his head and leads Michael out of the living room and up to his room. He closes the door behind them both, and Michael grins at him. 

"You handled that really well, I'm actually quite proud." Luke smiles, "Except for almost bringing up the half-brother thing. You know you don't want to do that, so be careful." 

 

Luke wraps his arms around Michael's shoulders and kisses him, "Thank you for stopping me. I can't believe I handled it that well either. Think you make me into a better person."

Michael grins, shakes his head, "You make me a little worse - I was way too good before. Now I get in fights and stand in front of guns." 

Luke giggles and kisses him again, pushing him back into the room until Michael turns them and pushes them up against the wall. Luke pulls him in for another kiss. 

"I love your attitude," Michael says, "So fucking hot when you're mad and threatening, you don't even know. It's so beautiful when your face goes all sharp-" 

"Shut up and kiss me, Mikey." 

"Oh, I'm gonna do way more than kiss you," he breathes. "Better be quiet or hope your room is soundproof." 

Luke shuts him up anyway, wanting everything Michael is willing to give.

*

The next week, Luke enters a song writing competition and three weeks later he finds out he's won. It's given to a famous artist - Ed Sheeran specifically - and he's flown out to complete the song and watch the recording and laying processes. Ed posts about him constantly, he gets noticed, and when he flies home and goes straight to Michael's house to kiss the life out of him, he has almost a hundred emails from labels, managers, even a few artists, asking him to write for them. 

Everything goes so fast he barely has time to comprehend it all, but Liz, James and Michael stay by his side the entire way, keeping him grounded as all these exciting things start happening for him. 

When he's sold his third song, he drops out of school to pursue the career properly. 

As soon as Michael finishes his senior year - only a few shorts months after Luke drops out - they both decide to get a place together to live near Michael's university. Once it's decided, it's happening, and Luke never really gets the chance to fix things with Ashton, or anyone else he attended school with.

It stays that way for too long, but he's too much in love to care about anything else. With Michael starting medical school and Luke selling songs to huge artists, their lives are only just beginning. 

*

**FIN**


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